Shared Wings
by Aroband
Summary: Hiro lost his motivation in life a long time ago, and neither he or his friends can revitalize him. Until he meets a strange girl at a party one night, who has been alone for as long as she can remember. Together, they have the chance rediscover what it means to live with themselves and each other. (Modern setting)
1. Chapter 1

The first thing Hiro was aware of when he woke up was that he was cold. He was pretty sure that hadn't been the case a moment ago, but he couldn't figure out why something would have changed. He knew he hadn't thrown his blankets off him in his sleep; he could still feel the sheets covering his body. At least, on most of it. His left half, the cold half, could feel the cool air circulating there.

He reluctantly cracked his eyes open and shut them again almost immediately after for two reasons. The first was the splitting headache that pierced his mind like a spear as soon as light hit his eyes.

The second was the naked girl standing directly in his line of vision.

He groaned in pain as the headache asserted itself as the dominant problem, pulling the thin sheet over his head in an attempt to block out the light. White sheets. That wasn't right either. He had dark blue sheets on his bed. Add that to the list of things that didn't seem right with the situation.

Once the light stopped feeling like it was stabbing him in the head with its brilliance, he peeked out from beneath them to where he had seen the girl. She was still there and still naked. Her long hair covered her abundant breasts and her bottom half was mostly hidden by the bed and sheets, but he could still make out the curve of her rear.

"Oh, you're awake. Sorry for waking you, I was just leaving, you can go whenever you want. I've got stuff to do." She snapped on a red bra as she spoke, seemingly unperturbed by him seeing her naked. "Your clothes should be around somewhere. I don't know where they went." Hiro immediately became aware that he was also naked. Which meant they had been in the bed, naked, together. Nothing was adding up.

"What the hell happened? Why am I here and why are we naked?" The girl laughed at his questions.

"Wow, I knew you were a bit drunk last night, but I didn't realize you were that bad. I didn't figure you for such a lightweight."

"Last night…" Hiro mumbled, trying to find his memories among his still agonizing headache. Things slowly started piecing themselves together…

* * *

Hiro was having an extraordinarily shitty Friday. First week of the semester and he could already feel his mind slipping. He had always enjoyed school and learning, some had even called him brilliant, but what had once been a passion for learning had become a poor imitation of his former enthusiasm. He was burned out. Life didn't have the same luster it once had, and it had been that way for a long time. And to make matters worse, he had an essay due in a week for two different classes and homework assignments in the other three.

And then his girlfriend broke up with him. She had said he wasn't exciting or interesting to be around. Their dates were boring and she didn't care about him the way she had before. Not that he could really blame her, but it stung all the same.

He was sitting with his long-time group of friends in their dorm hall when an excellent opportunity presented itself. "I hear there's this awesome party going on this house right down the block," Miku was saying. "Celebrating the start of the school year and all that. Anyone want to go?"

"Geez, what's there to celebrate? Eight more months of college? It's not like this is even our last year. We're sophomores, for crying out loud!" Zorome was quick to butt in. Miku shot him a sour look.

"Hey, if you don't want to come, don't come. No one's forcing you to." Zorome stuttered and mumbled something before shutting up.

"Well, I'll go. I think it sounds like fun." Goro, ever the team player, threw his hat into the ring.

"Yeah, I bet it'll be a great time!" Kokoro said cheerily. Futoshi was next to agree, barely getting his words out around the sandwich he was munching on. Predictably, Mitsuru and Ikuno declined, both citing 'better things to do,' even when Kokoro asked her boyfriend nicely.

"I think you guys are spoil sports," Ichigo said, turning to a pouting Miku. "and that it sounds like a good time. Count me in." Miku cheered up quickly, and Ichigo turned towards Hiro, who had been silent so far. "What about you, Hiro? Come out with us. It'll be fun."

Normally, Hiro would have declined, saying he wasn't feeling up to it. But this time, it sounded like just the thing he needed. A blessed distraction from all his problems and failures. "Let's do it," he said, more enthusiasm in his voice than anyone had heard in months. Everyone took it as a positive sign and quickly made plans to meet up later before dispersing back to their rooms.

Hiro and Goro hung out in their shared dorm for a few hours until it was time to head over to the party. A short walk later, the group was walking through the open door of the house. Music blasted from further back in the building, snacks and drinks lined the tables, and students were everywhere, drinking, chatting, flirting, and dancing. The group dispersed, promising to keep an eye on each other. Hiro's first stop was the drink table, where he grabbed something that didn't look too heavy and moseyed through the house.

As he wandered through the home, he found himself in the backyard, predictably full of people. Hiro's very slightly below average height and lean build aided him in slipping through the crowd to lean against the fence encircling the yard. From there, he watched as people milled around, greeting old friends and striking up conversations with random strangers. He sighed as he took swigs of whatever alcoholic beverage he had snagged, not really interested in anything other than staring at his peers as they enjoyed the party. "Maybe this was a bad idea," he mumbled to himself, unsure what to do with himself.

"I guess you're like me then." Hiro started at a voice beside him, turning to see a girl with pink hair and dressed in a form fitting outfit standing next to him. A white headband with two red protrusions sat on her head, holding some of her long hair back from her face. Deep teal eyes that almost seemed luminescent stared back at him.

She felt familiar.

"Huh?" he said, struck dumb by the girl that had snuck up on him.

"You're like me," she said again. "No one to be with, just on the outside looking in." Her captivating eyes switched back to the shifting crowd. "I know how you feel," she said, an air of whimsy in her voice. "Still, it's not all bad. This way I can find exactly what I'm looking for." A seductive tone had entered her voice, something Hiro was entirely unfamiliar with. He shifted nervously, not wanting to join the crowd to escape, but not wanting to stay where he was.

"Right," he said slowly, pushing himself away from the fence and walking back towards the house. "I'm just going to get another drink. I'll see you later."

"I'm counting on it," he heard from behind him before the girl got out of earshot.

The rest of the night, he kept seeing the strange pink-haired girl out of the corner of his eye. She never seemed to be talking to anyone, just standing aloofly against a wall or on the stairs or sitting on a couch. He tried not to pay her any mind, but it got harder and harder, especially as the alcohol started to set in. His normally keen awareness started to fail him, gaps appearing when he couldn't exactly remember what had happened. Somehow, he found himself sitting next to the strange girl, her hand tracing suggestively over his shirt as she licked his cheek. Another jump and he was kissing her. Another, he was walking side by side with her through the night. Finally, he found himself in a dorm room much like his own, kissing the girl again and falling into her bed. She looked down at him, victory in her eyes.

"Looks like you're my darling for the night," she said before jumping on top of him and his memory failed him.

* * *

"Oh gosh," he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut again, trying to remember anything else about he night before and coming up empty. Apparently, he had been too out of it to really remember what had happened. Which was a damn shame. "I seriously can't remember my first time..." He groaned again, pulling down the sheets slightly before realizing there was still a girl in the room. Even if she had seen him before, the situation was totally different when Drunk Hiro was replaced with Normal Hiro.

"Wait, really?" the girl asked as she pulled on a pair of shorts, hiding her bare skin from his view. "That was your first time having sex? Huh, it didn't seem like it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hiro asked, still coming to grips with everything that had led to him waking up in a stranger's room after having slept with her.

"It means," she said in the same seductive voice she had used the night before, leaning over him to get a closer look at his face. "I might want to have another go of it. How about it? Want to be my darling a while longer?" Her body hung over his, their eyes staring fixatedly on each other. As Hiro looked into hers, he once again had an odd feeling of familiarity, though he couldn't remember seeing her before. 'Surely I'd remember her,' he thought. Before he could say, much less do anything, the girl's phone rang, breaking their staring contest. The mysterious girl quickly snatched up the phone. "Time's up, I guess," she mumbled, before walking towards the door, grabbing a shoulder bag on the way. Hiro quickly called out to her as she opened the door to the room.

"Wait!" She paused, and Hiro didn't actually know what he was going to say. "I don't even know your name," he finished somewhat lamely. The girl turned and smirked at him, brushing her lengthy pink hair back, the headband he had seen the day before in place once again.

"My name?" she asked, her eyes gazing into the distance for a moment. "I don't know your name either, you know." Hiro blinked, surprised it hadn't come up. Though he wasn't all the surprised, given where her mind had apparently been.

"I'm Hiro."

"Hiro, huh?" She paused a moment before fixing her enrapturing eyes on his. "You can call me Zero Two then." And before Hiro could say another word, she closed the door and was gone.

* * *

"Where the hell were you last night? I lost track of you at the party and then you stay out all night? What happened to keeping tabs on each other?" Goro was pissed when Hiro got back to their dorm, which was, surprisingly enough, was in the same building as Zero Two's room. In fact, her floor was just a few above his own.

Hiro couldn't do much to lessen Goro's irritation. "I'm sorry, I had a bit too much to drink," he said, trying to stave off further questions about what had happened. His plan quickly backfired.

"You mean you were wandering around drunk? What the hell Hiro?!"

"No! I was…with someone. Inside, not wandering around."

"Who were you with? I talked to everyone, no one saw you after the party. Mitsuru and Ikuno said they didn't see you at all last night. So, who were you with?" Hiro could see the concern in Goro's eyes being edged out by curiosity.

"I was…. with a girl…." Hiro trailed off, a bright blush filling his face.

"A girl?" Goro said with no small amount of surprise. "A girl you knew, or just some girl?" Realization bloomed on his face as he connected the dots. "Wait, are you saying, you…"

"Yes, Goro," Hiro finally said. "I slept with someone. I was a bit drunk and out of it, so I don't really remember it, but I definitely slept with her. I woke up this morning in her room." Goro was too stunned to form a proper reply, but when the door swung open to reveal a wide-eyed Zorome and Miku, he didn't have to.

"WHAT?! NO WAY! There's no way timid little Hiro had sex before I did. I refuse to believe it. There's just no way." Zorome continued his enraged tirade, walking out into the hallway to continue spouting his outrage. Miku just stood where she was and scoffed.

"Well, I'm not surprised really. For someone to want to sleep with Zorome, they'd have to be able to deal with him for more than forty seconds. And I think we all know the likelihood of that happening." Quick as could be, Zorome swept back into the room, getting right up in Miku's face.

"I heard that, and I don't appreciate it."

"But you don't refute it," Miku said with a smirk.

"HEY!" The two went off on their own tirade chasing each other out of Hiro and Goro's dorm. A moment later, the rest of the group poked their heads into the room, looking at a still reeling Goro and a still embarrassed Hiro. Futoshi was the first to speak up.

"Wait, Hiro, you really had sex with someone last night? How was it? Who was it?"

"I bet it was that pink-haired girl at the party last night." Kokoro said, her guess spot on. "I saw her a few times and every time she was looking at Hiro. She was cute," she said with a wink in Hiro's direction. He was still too busy staring a hold in his bed to notice.

"Hmh, impressive," Mitsuru muttered. "You got with a hot girl and can't even remember it." Kokoro shot him a sour look, but he didn't say anything else, just stalked away to his own room. Ikuno gave him a sidelong glance before doing the same, leaving Hiro, Goro, Kokoro, and a still silent Ichigo in the room, Futoshi having wandered off in search of a snack.

"Do you think you'll see her again?" Kokoro asked, sitting down next to Hiro, who shrugged.

"Probably. She actually lives just a few floors up, so she definitely goes to the school. I haven't seen her before though, so she's probably new." He stared off into the distance for a moment before speaking softly, "I hope I do see her again." No one saw the twinge of pain that flashed across Ichigo's face before she finally spoke.

"Did you say she had pink hair?" A quick nod from Hiro was her answer. "I've heard a rumor going around the school about a girl that goes around sleeping with any guy that catches her attention. They say she's either standoffish or flirtatious and seductive. That sound familiar?" Kokoro thought for a moment before agreeing that at least part of the description fit.

"Interesting," Goro mused as the group lapsed into silence. Hiro, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, suddenly spoke up, his voice different from his usual resigned tone.

"You guys shouldn't judge someone too much based on rumors and stuff. You don't know what she's like."

"And you do?" Ichigo asked with just a bit of venom in her voice. Hiro blushed lightly.

"I didn't say that. Just that you shouldn't jump the gun. Maybe this girl isn't who you're talking about, or maybe those rumors are all fake. You don't know."

"Yeah, you're right man, sorry," Goro said, speaking for the other two as well. "Trust the philosophy major to call us out for being assumptive." They all laughed, finding the truth in his words. Hiro was the conscious of the group, a role that fell right in line with his personality and outlook on the world.

"Anyways guys, I'm going to get a bit of sleep. I'm still wiped from last night," Hiro said with a yawn. Goro chuckled.

"I guess I can't blame you. I bet you didn't have all that restful of a night." Hiro shot the taller boy a glare, who held up his hands with a laugh. "Okay, sorry, probably poor taste. Get some rest, Hiro. It is the weekend, after all." Goro and the two girls quickly filed out of the room, Ichigo pausing for a moment to shoot one last glance over her shoulder at the boy sitting on his bed before turning off the light and closing the door.

Hiro laid there for a few minutes, waiting for his spinning thoughts to calm enough for him to rest. The girl from the night before and that morning, Zero Two, danced around in his head, all of his thoughts twisting back to her. For the first time in a while, he actually felt the drive again. The urge to learn, to excel, to be someone other than a spectator in his own life. He found that, unlike the day before, he was looking forward to the coming school year, especially if it meant seeing Zero Two again.

* * *

Zero Two, as she preferred to be called, was wandering around campus, looking for something to do. In any sense of the word. She was reluctant to start on any of the menial homework she had been assigned, not seeing the point when she had the whole weekend to do it. Or rather, to put off doing it.

Instead, she found herself wandering around the school, trying to figure out where everything was. She had transferred to Jian University just the week before and hadn't had much chance to actually look around except to find her dorm, her classes, and, of course, the food court. The glorious food court, open almost all day and more akin to a massive buffet than anything else. She licked her lips at the mere thought of it.

As her tongue traced her lips, she caught a taste of her most recent conquest. 'Hiro,' she thought. 'Could he be…? No way, it couldn't be. It's a common enough name. Though he does have the same messy black hair. It's possible…"

She continued her musings, wandering the campus before finding a large tree and clambering into its wide branches. Unable to help herself, her mind drifted back to Hiro and how he had treated her the night before. She had plenty of experiences with guys that had a bit too much to drink, but Hiro hadn't treated her the same way they had. They were always confident and attempting to be cool, and always got worse when she started coming on to them. Then in bed, they were domineering and pushy. It made it all the more satisfying when she wrested control away from them and put them under her thumb.

But Hiro hadn't done any of that. When she was flirting with him, he had been embarrassed and twitchy. When he was buzzed, he wasn't much better, just a little bit more relaxed. He hadn't even been the one to start kissing her, she had to make the first move. Before that, he had been content to sit and talk. When she took him back to her room, there had been no control to take away since he had never had any in the first place, letting her lead the entire time.

And then that morning. Every other guy she had slept with had been unabashed the next morning, if they got the chance to be. Staring at her naked form, admiring her from the perch of their own egos. They had always asked for another go, to which she would teasingly lead them on before dropping them for the next target. Without fail, they were all the same.

Until now. Until Hiro. He hadn't looked at her with any of that. Instead, he was timid, unconfident, and scared. Which made sense, given that she was apparently his first and he didn't seem to remember it. But that didn't excuse the last thing he did.

He asked for her name.

It wasn't all that uncommon. Guys would ask all the time. But they used it as an opening line, a first step to get to what they wanted. So she would make something up, or dodge the question. After a while, they wouldn't remember or care. She knew, because she did the same with their names. A means to an end. Hiro had thrown all that on its head. Asking her name when he had nothing left to gain, introducing himself first. It all made no sense. He was so different from every other boy she has slept with.

It made her want to see him again, a feeling entirely foreign to her.

On the plus side, he went to Jian same as she did. He had mentioned when they were going to her room that he was living in the same building. Chances were they'd run into each other again. She smiled slightly, pulling a bright red lollipop out of one of the pockets on her oversized black hoodie and biting into it.

As she enjoyed her treat, a buzzing from her pocket jerked her out of her thoughts. Pulling her phone out, she saw it was an email from the dorm management. She scowled slightly as she read it. Her roommate, who's name she hadn't bothered to remember, had complained about her for some reason or another, and she was being made to change rooms. 'Prissy bitch,' Zero Two thought as she looked the email over again. At least she didn't have to go far, just down a few floors. She needed to be in the new room by Monday. 'I'll do it Sunday night. It'll serve that jerk right, having to deal with me as long as possible.' Turning her phone back off, she went back to her snack and the warm light of the afternoon.

* * *

_Welcome, one and all, to the first chapter of Shared Wings. I find there is not nearly enough good Darling in the Franxx stories set in a more modern setting. I get why, it requires original stories, something not all of us are good at, being fanfiction authors. It's not just you, its me too. So I intend to amend at least a portion of that with this story. It will be DitF in a more modern setting. As for being good...well, that's the hope. If you think I've succeeded with this first chapter, please let me know with a saucy review. Or if you'd like to see where we go from here, give the story a follow. I respond to each and every review I receive and the give me extra motivation to write, so if you want to contribute to my fragile mental state, consider that._

_Now, due to the nature of how I want to write this story and DitF in general, you are being advised now that sex will play a part in this story. It won't be for a while yet, but these are young adults doing young adult things. In college. It's gonna come up eventually, as will other similar topics. Now, I assume none of you have a problem with that (we all know we love DitF for very specific reasons), but just in case, this is your warning. It says 'M' on the label for a reason._

_One last thing, I am currently also writing a large Legend of Zelda story, Revival of the Gods. If you like Zelda, I'd advise you to check it out, because who would I be if I didn't do some shameless self-promotion. I'm trying to finish that story, as I've been working on it for the past couple years, but I am very busy with having an actual life, something I would avoid if I could. Just want you all to know that I won't be updating this consistently. I've got the first...eh, 6-ish chapters of this story written, including this one, but after that, the next chapter comes out when I finish it, which might take a while. So while I promise that any story I start **will** get finished eventually, I cannot say when that will be. The next chapter will likely be out in a few days, so stay tuned. __So read on and I hope you enjoy 'Shared Wings.' Cheers!_

_~Aro_


	2. Chapter 2

The remainder of Saturday was uneventful for Hiro. He took his nap and woke up feeling refreshed and energized. In the space of three hours, he got one of his essays written and two other assignments done. He even came out of his room when Kokoro insisted on cooking something in the floor's communal kitchen, the delicious smells tempting him as well as some of the other people on the floor that he didn't know. Satisfied with a reasonably productive day, Hiro went back to bed and slept peacefully.

The next day was entirely different, and everything went sideways in the span of about thirty minutes. Hiro, Goro, Ichigo, Futoshi, Miku, Zorome, Kokoro, Mitsuru, and Ikuno were all walking to the dining area for a Sunday breakfast, joking and, in Zorome and Miku's case, arguing with each other. Everyone was in high spirits, even Mitsuru and Hiro. The food selection was as impressive as they expected. Waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, omelets, fresh fruit, muffins, bagels, bread for toasting, and a dozen other things were spread out for their selection. After piling their plates as high as they could, the found two empty tables and crowded around them to eat, the boys ending up separate from the girls.

"Ohoho, this looks awesome," Zorome said as his hands hovered over his plate, trying to decide what to taste first. Futoshi grunted in agreement from around a large mouthful of waffle, having no such qualms about what to eat first, as long as he got to eat it all. The other three dug in as well, enjoying the rich flavors they had collected on their plates.

Hiro was halfway through a bowl of yogurt mixed with granola when he spotted a familiar-looking head of pink hair. He leaned around Goro to get a better look and found he was right. Zero Two was sitting alone at a small table a little way away, enthusiastically eating a plate of French toast that appeared to be completely soaked in some sticky liquid. Her gaze roved over the sparse collection of other students spread around the food court. It took Hiro a moment to realize he was staring at the strange girl, and by that time, she had already seen him and locked eyes on him, a familiar smile spreading across her face that made his heart skip a beat.

Before he could do anything else, Goro had noticed his friend's odd posture and dropped into his field of view. "What are you looking at?" he asked, turning to look the same way Hiro was.

"That's her," Hiro said quietly, nodding towards Zero Two, who was walking towards their table with her plate of food in tow.

"Her?" Goro asked, not catching Hiro's meaning.

"From the party. The girl I…" his voice trailed off, and Goro's eyes went wide with realization.

"That's her? You sure?" Hiro nodded quickly, still watching Zero Two as she walked closer and closer to their table. "That's the girl Ichigo was talking about yesterday. I guess Mitsuru saw her wandering around and apparently she's the one." Hiro barely had a moment to think about the implications of Goro's statement when the tall girl in question was sitting down on his lap and setting her plate down next to his.

"Hello again, Darling. Hope you don't mind if I join you," she said, not at all ashamed of the position she had put herself in or the surprise of his tablemates. Specifically, Zorome spewing his apple juice all over his own food and Mitsuru fumbling his fork. Conversation at the boy's table immediately died, the girl's table quickly following suit once they noticed the commotion and its source.

"D-darling?!" Zorome said incredulously, staring openly at the girl perched on Hiro's lap. "Wh-wh-what the fuck is that?!" Mitsuru and Futoshi let loose with similar questions, Goro only able to hold his own back thanks to the small amount of information he already had on the situation.

Zero Two hardly reacted at all, just picking up a honey and syrup-soaked piece of French toast and topped with bacon up to Hiro's mouth. "Say 'ah'," she said, holding the treat in front of him expectantly. Not sure what else to do, Hiro obeyed, taking a large bite of the proffered food. Zero Two smiled happily before cramming the remaining portion into her own mouth.

"Lucky bastard," Zorome mumbled, trying to clean up some of his spilled juice. All the other boys just watched the interaction, not sure of what to do. Fortunately for them, Ichigo came over and broke the awkward silence.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked, barely contained outrage seeping into her voice. Zero Two took her eyes off her food at looked at the annoyed girl with an innocent expression.

"Eating," she said, shifting slightly on Hiro's lap, much to his chagrin. He was all too conscious of the fact that the last time he had seen Zero Two, she had been naked.

"Yes, I see that," Ichigo replied, her irritation rising with every second. "Why are you doing it there? Specifically, on Hiro?" Zero Two shrugged her shoulders.

"I saw my darling and wanted to sit with him. You don't mind, do you?" she asked turning to the boy who's lap she was sitting on.

"N-not really…" Hiro mumbled self-consciously. Zero Two flashed a brilliant smile at Hiro, then at Ichigo, and went back to her food. Hiro, unsure of what else to do, resumed eating his own meal, sometimes having to pull his fork out of reach of Zero Two's mouth when she snapped at it and the food on it. Ichigo just stood there, dumbfounded.

"Since when is Hiro your 'darling'," she asked, voice positively dripping with venom. Zero Two licked her fingers clean of syrup before answering.

"Since…Friday? Either Friday or Saturday, depending on how late it was when we left that party. Do you remember?" she asked Hiro, who having just taken a large bite of bacon, shrugged.

"So, wait, you're the girl that goes around sleeping with any guy she wants?" Ichigo asked, staring at the pink haired girl. "You're Io- "

"I'm Zero Two," she interrupted, looking at Ichigo with a suddenly hostile expression.

"Zero Two?" Mitsuru grumbled. "What kind of name is that?" Zero Two just shot him a dirty look before returning to her food, quickly getting her hands covered in syrup again.

"Hah, so you're the girl that Hiro slept with?" Zorome scoffed, standing next to Zero Two as she scarfed down more French toast covered in honey and powdered sugar. "I bet he was terrible; probably just laid there and made you do all the work. How would you like to see how a real man is in bed? I'm sure I could find the time to show you what you're missing out on." He gave her a confident smirk, under the impression that any girl that would deign to sleep with Hiro must be unaware that there were far better prospects available.

The girl in question was far less impressed though. 'He's just like all the others,' she thought. 'No, worse, it's like he's doing this for a dare. Boring,' she returned her attention to the remining bits of her food, taking advantage of the arrogant boy's very clean and very white shirt to clean her hand off.

The resulting screech of outrage from beside her made her smile slyly, but the loud laugh from behind her made her heartbeat just a bit faster. It wasn't often she heard noises of such pure amusement, and these were coming from someone who had so far only really expressed a depressed attitude, at least in front of her. Hearing her darling's laugh brought her a pleasure unlike any she had felt in a long time.

Finishing the last of her meal, she cleaned her hands one more time and stood up from her very comfortable seat. "You're leaving already?" Hiro asked, looking and sounding a bit disappointed. A teasing grin spread across Zero Two's face.

"Oh? What's wrong? Hoping to spend more time with me, Darling? Maybe like last time?" she asked, both teasing and curious about his answer. Most guys she offered this chance to jumped at the opportunity. Plus, it would be one last goodbye present to her soon to be former roommate if she brought a guy in when she was supposed to be moving out. But, as she suspected, Hiro wasn't like that.

"N-no, I actually just wanted to get to know you better. If we talked at all before, I don't really remember," he said, blushing slightly at her insinuation. For a moment, Zero Two felt a little bad, but quickly pushed the feeling down before it had the chance to stick.

"Aww, sorry, but I've got to go pack my stuff up. My roommate kicked me out, so now I'm changing rooms." Hiro's eyes widened slightly, a little afraid of losing what tenuous connection he had to this strange and alluring girl.

"Where are you moving to?" he quickly asked.

"Not far, just a few floors down actually. Room…406, I think. I'm sure you can see me again, if you really want to," she finished with another sneaky smile. But a moment later, she saw that confusion was covering her darling's face.

"Room 406, as in fourth floor of our building? That's the same floor we're all on." This time, Zero Two really couldn't help the jump she felt in her chest.

"Really? What room are you in then?"

"409. I guess we're going to be hallmates." Zero Two could see next to him, all his friends were listening in on the conversation, their various levels of interest evident on their faces. The rude, blue-haired girl and the arrogant short boy were both looking on with irritation, the tall blonde with interest, and most of the others only vaguely paying attention, with the skinny, pale haired guy scowling in her direction.

But none of that mattered. She was basically going to be able to live with Hiro! Maybe then she could figure out what made him so different from all the other guys she had slept with. With that happy thought, she smiled at him once again, unaware of the happiness that smile stirred up in him. "I guess so," she said, taking a bouncing step away. "I guess I'll see you soon then, Darling." She turned to go get rid of her dishes when his unsteady voice interrupted her.

"Actually…" Hiro said cautiously, "If you need to move, do you want some help? I bet it would go a lot faster if there were two people doing it rather than just one." Zero Two giggled at his hesitant offer, but quickly turned back to him, still smiling.

"Are you sure you don't just want to spend more time with me?" she teased, her smile widening when his cheeks went an even deeper shade of red. "I'm kidding. But I could use some help, thanks." Normally, she would have refused any offer of help, but she didn't see the harm in it this time. Besides, she had a few heavy boxes. It might be nice to see him lifting those. Content in her decision, she spun around again and walked off towards the dish drop and then her soon to be former dorm, Hiro hurrying to catch up.

Behind them, the rest of Hiro's friends looked on.

"I think Hiro really likes her," Kokoro said, watching the two walk side by side out the dining center doors.

"It certainly looks that way," Goro replied, gathering his plates to leave.

"I don't like it," Ichigo muttered. "What if she's just using him? Trying to wring every drop of kindness out of him she can before she throws him away? From what I've heard, it wouldn't be the first time."

"But I thought most of the rumors said she would only sleep with a guy once or twice?" Goro said. "She seems to really have taken to him. I doubt she would go to all that trouble just to get him into bed again. It's like Hiro said, give her the benefit of the doubt."

"I guess…" Ichigo grumbled. Nearby, Kokoro was reprimanding Mitsuru for saying something similar, though with a bit more venom than Ichigo had and with less sympathy towards Hiro.

"I just don't see what all the buzz is about him," Zorome groused, leaning his chair back on two legs. "He's a depressed, boring guy. What's there for her to like? Especially when she's so hot." Zorome suddenly found his seat slammed back down on all fours from behind.

"What do you mean she's hot? And why were you suddenly trying to get with her?" an enraged Miku asked from behind Zorome, who couldn't help the slight chill of fear that tingled down his spine.

"What is it to you?" he shot back, standing up to get right in the girl's face. Their argument quickly stole the group's attention, but Hiro and Zero Two continued to linger in everyone's mind.

* * *

"Looks like that's the last of it," Hiro grunted as he lowered the last box into Zero Two's new room on his floor. It was a little smaller than his, but she would be the only occupant, which kind of made up for it.

"Thank you, Darling," Zero Two said, hugging Hiro's head to her chest and making the boy sputter. He managed to extract himself from her tight embrace but was unable to keep the red out of his cheeks or look her in the eye.

"Why do you call me that?" he asked, sitting on the mostly box covered bed. Zero Two quirked her head in confusion.

"Call you what?"

"Darling."

"Oh," she said slowly before moving over to one of her boxes and starting to pull things out of it. "I guess you don't remember. You became my darling the other night when I decided I wanted to be with you." She went back to her sorting as if the entire matter was settled. Hiro didn't feel that way at all.

"Uhh…okay. But that was the other night. I thought you…"

"Slept around?" Zero Two asked offhandedly, glancing over her shoulder at him as he nodded, too embarrassed to say the same. "Normally I do. One week I slept with a different guy every night." Hiro thought he detected a hint of bitterness in her voice but didn't have time to ponder it. "But you've caught my attention, Darling. So, until I get bored, my Darling you shall be. Now, open up that box and help me with my clothes." Once again, she returned to her sorting, leaving Hiro nothing but confusion and orders to follow.

He diligently carried the box she pointed out over to her dresser before opening it. He didn't really look at what was in the box until the contents were already in his hands.

"Darling, I hadn't figured you for a pervert," Zero Two said mockingly as he dropped the pile of her underwear that he had grabbed, laughing delightedly at the look of pure embarrassment on his face.

"Hey, that's the box you said to grab! You planned that, didn't you?!" Zero Two just laughed harder, and Hiro was helpless to join in, both of them lying on the floor laughing at each other's antics.

Once they had calmed down, they returned to their work, Hiro breaking the silence every once in a while to ask Zero Two where she wanted something. After a while, most of the boxes were unpacked with everything put away. "Thanks again for the help, Darling," Zero Two said, wrapping her arms around the boy again. "I wish I had a good way to thank you…" she murmured, her hands tracing over his shoulders and teasing any exposed skin she could find.

"Th-that's fine, I don't need a reward or anything," Hiro stuttered out, as nervous as ever, his eyes flitting around for some form of escape.

"Are you sure? Because as I recall, you don't remember what we did the other night. I was thinking I could…refresh your memory."

'How does she make everything sound so sexy?' Hiro asked himself, before forcibly extracting himself from her arms. "Sorry, I've got to go do something," he said, trying to escape the girl that seemed far too interested in him. He was too slow however, and Zero Two somehow managed to get between him and the door, a predatory look in her eye.

"Darling, I didn't take you for a liar. Why are you so desperate to get away from me? It's not like we haven't done it already…" Her goading was obvious, but Hiro thought he saw something else underneath that, something insecure and scared.

"You've got it wrong, it's not that I…I'm just not…" Hiro tried to put his thoughts into words to relax her, but before he could get far, there was a knock at the door, startling them both.

"Hiro? Are you in there?" Ichigo's voice came through the wood before the door opened to reveal the short girl behind it. "Hey, there you are. Are you busy?" she asked, looking between the two with an odd look in her eyes that Hiro couldn't place.

Zero Two could. She had seen jealousy plenty of times when she grabbed away boys from girls too timid to do what they really wanted. That same look of frustration, anger, and longing was evident in the short blue-haired girl in her doorway.

"Nope, not busy at all," her darling stammered out quickly, putting another step between them. Something pulled in her chest, but it was too short-lived for her to place. "What's up?" A bit of the jealousy in Ichigo's eyes disappeared.

"I've just got a few homework problems I don't get and was hoping you could help me out with them."

"Oh, sure. We're pretty much done here anyways. You okay with the rest yourself, Zero Two?" he asked, still kind to her despite his previous unease. She smiled at him and trailed one of her hands down his chest lightly.

"I'll be fine, Darling. Thanks so much for _all_ your help." She purposefully emphasized her wording to watch the adorable blush that appeared on his face as he caught the implication of her words. The look on Ichigo's face was icing on the cake.

The two left, Hiro giving her one last look before closing the door gently and leaving her alone. Suddenly lost for any motivation, Zero Two threw herself onto her bed, letting herself bounce on the mattress before laying askew on the formerly tidy bed. She laid there for a moment; her mind empty of any thoughts when a particular scent tickled her senses. It was faint but resonated with her in an odd way. It made her think of lazy mornings, warmth, sleepless nights, and comfort.

She jerked out of bed, sniffing around the room to try and find the source of the enticing smell. She searched around but couldn't find a trace of it again until she came back to the bed. The smell was emanating from the blankets laid haphazardly across the sheets. Zero Two buried her face in the blankets in question, trying to figure out why they smelled so wonderful. It took her a few more sniffs before she realized.

Those were the blankets her darling had slept under Friday night. He had also been sitting on them just a few minutes ago before he left. It was his smell that had her enraptured. Zero Two's mind flitted to the absurdity that a person's smell could inspire such emotion from her, how strange and unprecedented it was and what it could possibly mean before the magical scent caught her again and whisked her mind away to a place of calm and comfort.

* * *

_So here we are, chapter 2. In which...uh...*glances through chapter* we round out the rest of the cast, kind of. But everyone's living on the same floor now, so that ought to be fun. Plenty of great opportunities with that. As for what those are, you'll just have to wait and see._

_So this is normally the part where I answer everyone's reviews, but seeing as there aren't any, I'm kind of drawing a blank here. Thanks to everyone who has followed and favorited the story though. I'm glad you're enjoying it and hope you continue to do so. And if you so desire, feel free to drop a quick word. I don't care what it is, I just love audience engagement._

_Once again, thank you all for reading and stay tuned for more chapters of this. I'll post it when I feel like it, so hold tight. Things are going to start picking up. If you like drama and emotions, I've got just the thing for you. Cheers!_

_~Aro_


	3. Chapter 3

Hiro's Monday passed without incident. He went to class, he ate, he did homework, and he hung out with his friends. But somehow, he didn't see Zero Two once. The lack of her boundless energy left him feeling empty and almost restless. But he did his best to not let it bother him and pressed on.

Tuesday was a similar affair. Not a single sign of the pink-haired girl. Hiro even made a point to sit in the common room between their rooms in the hopes that he would at least catch a glimpse of her. All he managed to do was waste an hour playing on his phone for an hour after he had finished every bit of homework he could find. He ended up going back to his room downtrodden and filled with the same feeling of emptiness.

Zero Two, for her part, hardly noticed the days passing, due to her spending most of them asleep in her bed, face pressed into her blankets to try to capture every bit of her darling's scent that she could. She didn't bother going to her classes, did the minimum amount of homework assigned, and ate whatever she could find hidden in her room, which mainly consisted of an unhealthy number of sweets.

It was only when the last of the entrancing scent had fled her blankets that she considered leaving her room for an extended period of time. She had long ago come to the realization that her darling was close by and probably smelled, and tasted, even better than her sheets, but then she would have to deal with his friends, who didn't seem to like her very much, other people, and life in general. Not to mention the flip-flopping of her chest got even worse when she saw him, and she wasn't sure she liked the feeling. It wasn't bad, per say, but it wasn't _good_ either.

Eventually though, she found she had no choice. If she wanted to have any tangible reminder of Hiro, she would have to actually see him again.

Luckily, she wouldn't have to go far.

It only took her a minute to spot her darling sitting in the dorm common room picking over a few papers. She quickly made her way behind him before he noticed her standing there.

"Daaaaaarling…" she crooned over his shoulder, loving the way he jumped as she trailed her hands over his shoulders and down his chest. "I missed you…"

"Z-zero Two! Um…hi? I haven't seen you recently. Where have you been?" Zero Two felt a quick pang or sadness. Her darling had noticed her missing. Maybe she should have tried to find him sooner.

"Sorry darling, I've been…busy." She wasn't about to tell him she had been sitting alone in her room for the past few days. "But I'm willing to make it up to you if you'd like," she said, her hands roaming his slim chest more aggressively. She wasn't quite sure what inspired her assertiveness, but she felt a need unlike any she had felt before and this seemed like the best way to quench it.

Hiro sputtered cutely, thrown off by her forwardness and tried to turn around to face her properly. Taking advantage of the brief opportunity, Zero Two quickly leaned in and kissed him solidly on the lips.

Tingling erupted from her lips and sent uniquely pleasurable sensations rushing down her spine. She groaned involuntarily into Hiro's mouth, which had hardly moved. Zero Two quickly found herself pushed backwards and the contact between their lips was broken. It only took a moment that the hands pushing her away from her darling were, in fact, her darling's. She looked at him, confused by his sudden rejection.

"Wait, wait. Just wait a minute, Zero Two," he said slightly breathlessly. "You can't just kiss me like that. I mean, I don't want you to. I hardly…" his voice faded away as his words sunk in. He didn't want her. He didn't want to kiss her, didn't want to sleep with her, probably didn't even want to see her. No one had ever said that to her before. She was the one that turned them down, not the other way around. She was the one in control. Until now.

Zero Two jerked away from Hiro, cutting off whatever he was saying. She felt the fear in her heart as she stared at him with wide eyes. But fear made her weak, so anger stepped in. She grabbed Hiro's arms and gripped him as tightly as she could.

"You think you can turn me down?" she snarled, suddenly aggressive. "I was just using you anyways, you don't mean anything to me. Nothing!" Now he wasn't the one throwing her away, _she_ was throwing _him_ away. "I could have a different guy every night if I want. You're not special!"

"Zero Two, that hurts." Hiro's pained words slipped into her mind, breaking her out of her frantic thoughts. She blinked and looked down to where her nails were biting into his skin. Small beads of red blood were welling up where her nails had dug too deep. She abruptly let go of him, stumbling backwards and gazing at her pink-tinged nails before her eyes flicked back up to Hiro's. The pain in his eyes stung her more than any of his words, breaking down the last wall in her fracturing emotional barrier. Before any traitorous feelings could slip out, she stormed back to her dorm, ignoring Hiro's desperate calls from behind her as she slammed the door and sank to the floor, staring in numb shock at the blood staining her fingertips and the memory of pain in blue eyes.

* * *

Hiro stared in worried confusion as Zero Two stalked away, threw open her door and slammed it shut a moment after. Something he had said or done had set her off, but he wasn't sure what it could be. Girls in general were a mystery to him; he could hardly be expected to understand a girl he hadn't known for a week when he still get Ichigo, whom he had known since they were kids. Speaking of which…

"Hiro!" Ichigo exclaimed, springing up from where she was sitting across from him when she noticed the thin trails of red running down his arms. "Oh my gosh, did she cut you?! What kind of crazy person is she? Grabbing you, then k-kissing you, then clawing at you and then running away?! What is _wrong_ with her?!"

"Ichigo, calm down," Goro said gently, watching from where he was sitting next to Ichigo's now vacated seat. "It's not like his arm is going to fall off." Hiro shot Goro a grateful look, though his words did little to calm Ichigo.

"That's not the damn point, Goro! She practically mauled him for turning her down! What kind of person does that?" She looked at Hiro's wounds a moment longer before quickly walking off towards her room. "I've got some disinfectant in my room, I'll be right back," she said over her shoulder as she disappeared around the corner to the girls' rooms. The two boys sat in silence, Hiro smearing away drops of blood as his wounds clotted before Goro spoke.

"Why do you think she did that?" he asked quietly, trying to decipher the strange girl's actions. Hiro didn't say anything, just played with the sticky blood between his fingers, watching it stretch between the digits before the tenuous strands snapped. He stood and walked over to the nearby sink, rinsing the blood from his fingers. He quickly dried his hands and sat back down, looking at his now clean fingers for a moment before gazing emptily at the wall.

"She looked afraid," he said finally. Goro didn't have a moment to ask what he meant before Ichigo came back and started cleaning Hiro's small wounds with a disinfectant wipe.

Hiro eventually managed to assure Ichigo he was fine and remove himself from her doting reach. He took the homework he had been poking at back to his room before walk back across the common room to stand in front of Zero Two's door. Goro and Ichigo both peeked around the corner to see what he was doing. He hesitated a moment before knocking on the wood of the door.

"Zero Two?" he called out, hoping she would answer. He didn't hear anything other than his own breathing. "Zero Two, I need to talk to you," he tried again, once more to no effect. "Please?" Silence.

Realizing it might take longer than he hoped, Hiro went back to his room, ignoring Ichigio and Goro trying too hard to be inconspicuous, grabbed one of the books he'd been meaning to read, and returned to Zero Two's door. "Whenever you want to talk, I'll be here," he said to the door. This time, he heard quiet shuffling from the other side. Content that he had been heard, Hiro sat down across from the door, cracked open his book, and settled in to wait.

* * *

Zero Two had heard Hiro asking her to talk, but his voice only reminded her of his pained words when she had dug her hands into his skin, piercing his flesh and letting blood flow out…. She had been forced to suppress her horrified shudders as the feeling came back to the forefront of her mind. Just thinking about it left her feeling curiously nauseous and sorrowful, both sensations unfamiliar and uncomfortable. She had breathed a sigh of relief when he had left, but was back on edge when he returned and made himself comfortable outside the door.

She had peered out the peephole in the door at him, conflicting feelings warring inside her. A part of her thought he looked so peaceful sitting there, eyes roving over the pages of his book, occasionally turning a page or mouthing a particular section to himself. Another part could only focus on the irritated, red skin of his arms where her nails had sunk into him and the revulsion she felt for those marks.

Neither feeling made any sense to her. Tenderness was not something she was used to or had much experience with, particularly not with a guy. She was used to getting what she wanted from a man and that being the end of it. So what did she do when that wasn't the end? What came after sex? More sex? But Hiro didn't seem to want that, if his reaction to her suggestions were any evidence.

Her hatred for the wounds she had inflicted on him didn't make sense either. She had clawed, punched, kicked, and even bitten guys before when they got too aggressive, overbearing, put on unwanted advances, or just caught her in the wrong mood. Never before had she felt any remorse for those actions. Now it was practically crushing her.

She needed to stop feeling these feelings, but all her usual distractions were out of reach. Going for a swim or a walk, eating until she burst, or fucking a guy were her fallbacks, but to do any of that, she'd have to leave her room. Which meant facing Hiro.

He had trapped her more effectively than she had thought possible.

Of course, now that she thought about it, she was hungry. Very hungry. 'I guess that's what happens when I don't eat for two days,' she couldn't help but think with a hint of humor. She'd just have to hold out until Hiro gave up.

Unfortunately, an hour later, he still hadn't moved. He had remained buried in his book, occasionally jotting notes in the margins with a pencil he had produced from somewhere. A few people spent a minute or two talking to him, always asking what he was doing. Every time, he said he was waiting to talk to her. No one really pressed him, just accepting the statement and going about their days. Only the blue-haired jealous girl actually sat with him for a while and tried to convince him to give up. Hiro adamantly refused. Zero Two felt a strange mix of victory and disappointment. He was still choosing her over his friend, but he didn't go away.

To make it worse, her hunger was slowly overpowering her, making her contemplate making a run for it or climbing out her window on the fourth floor. Neither of which were good options. Slowly, she stood from where she was sitting against the wall and walked over to the door. Looking out the peephole again, she saw that, against all hopes, Hiro was still sitting there.

He wasn't reading his book though. He had put it aside and was running his fingers over the clotted punctures on his arms. Then, as if he could sense her looking at him, he looked up and stared at the door, his bright eyes piercing her even through the wood. She could see in his eyes that he wasn't going to move any time soon. She immediately knew she wouldn't win the standoff. Which left her with only one choice, as much as she hated it.

Taking a deep breath, she jerked the door open, sending her long pink hair flying, some of it catching on her lips and nose. She pushed it back just as Hiro was getting over his surprise.

"Zero Two! I wasn't sure if you'd actually come out…" he said unsteadily, clearly having not thought past getting her out of her room. Zero Two, for her part, wasn't even sure what he wanted to say or what to say about her earlier outburst.

"You wanted to talk to me, so talk," she said tersely, crossing her arms and staring him down, unwilling to give him another inch until she knew what he was going for. He immediately destroyed all her expectations.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, his voice laced with concern. It turned out that was all it took to get her going.

"Am I okay? Am _I_ okay?!" she sputtered. "I clawed you and cut you and you ask if I'm okay? You don't even want to see me again and all you can ask if I'm okay? I'm not the one who got hurt, Hiro!"

"Aren't you?" he asked, just as quietly as before, silencing her outburst as easily as he caused it. "Before you left, you looked…afraid. Why were you scared? And why wouldn't I want to see you again?" She wished she had a way to stop his words from cutting her to the bone but could do nothing against his pointed questions except answer honestly.

"You…pushed me away. You said you didn't want me," she said quietly, barely above a murmur.

"Why did that scare you?" he pressed. Why did he have to ask such hard questions?

"I…I don't…no one ever said that," she finished, her voice becoming even more timid.

"Said what?"

"That they didn't want to be with me, to sleep with me. No one ever turned me down. Only you. I…I thought you must hate me," Hiro sighed for a moment before talking.

"Zero Two, I don't hate you. You've never had someone turn you down? Well I never had someone want to sleep with me at all. Even my last girlfriend never made any move towards it. And…I guess I don't want to be just another guy that you throw away. You're more unique than anyone I've ever met. Plus, you seem…" his thought died on his lips, not wanting to voice the strange sense of familiarity that accompanied her presence. "Like someone really interesting," he finished, trying not to focus on how lame that sounded.

Zero Two looked at him, looking for the lie that she thought must be there. There was no way Hiro was being honest with her, was there? If he was like all the other guys, he was just saying that to hold on to her for a moment longer. But…that didn't make sense, did it? If that had been the case, he wouldn't have said anything in the first place. Right? Which meant…he was telling the truth? Her mind whirled, trying to make sense of it all. Hiro's actions didn't fit with anything any other guy had done. Maybe he really was different.

Hiro, not being privy to her thoughts, was becoming restless as Zero Two stared off into space. Gathering his courage, he dared to break the silence.

"How about this? Let me…take you out to eat tomorrow after classes. After that, if you want nothing to do with me, that's fine." Zero Two had broken out of her thoughts, but still wasn't making eye contact. Hiro sighed. "Please, Zero Two, just give me a chance." Her mind grabbed hold of his words, fixated on his earnest plea. Before she was really conscious of what she was doing, she heard her voice, far more timid than she'd like, agree.

Hiro's face lit up at her quiet 'yes.' Already, he was formulating plan after plan, determined to find the best one to keep her from running off. He forced himself to calm down. 'I don't even know what I'm doing. Plus, she's clearly has a tough history. Take it slow.'

"How about we meet at the Werner Science Building at 4 then. I know a place nearby that's really good." Zero Two didn't say anything, just stared at the floor before nodding. "Okay…see you tomorrow then," Hiro said, slightly thrown off by her demure attitude. She just nodded again before backing into her room, closing the door. Their eyes caught for just a moment. The glimpse was enough to betray the happiness in Zero Two's eyes before the door snapped shut.

Hiro stood there for a few seconds before a feeling of relief swept across him and a smile spread across his face. For better or worse, he had a date with Zero Two. He was walking back to his room when Goro fell into step beside him.

"I'm surprised she agreed," he said, not even attempting to hide the fact that he had been listening in. "But I'm glad she did."

"Me too," Hiro said, the relief evident in his voice. He had been doubtful that Zero Two would even open her door, much less that she would go on a lunch date. His smile widened at the very thought. Goro looked on, not missing the happy expression on his best friend's face.

'Dang, he's got it bad,' he thought, amused. 'Well, not like I can really talk,' the realized wryly. "Congratulations. Where are you going to take her?" he asked.

"I thought I'd take her over to Café 13. It's close and pretty good."

"Ooo, romantic." Hiro shoved the taller boy away even as his cheeks became tinted red. They got back to their room and Hiro puttered about for a minute, putting the book he had been reading back on his desk before something out the window caught his gaze. Someone was positively sprinting towards the dining building, long pink hair fluttering behind them. Hiro watched with surprise as Zero Two ran at what seemed like superhuman speed across the grass until she dashed into the dining hall and out of sight.

* * *

The pink-haired girl ran across the campus, happiness swirling in her chest. She wasn't used to people asking her to lunch, but the very thought of getting to spend more time with Hiro made her pulse pound. Surely, if he had asked her out, he didn't hate her. He wouldn't possibly want to have lunch with someone he hated.

'But then what does he think of you?' a small voice whispered to her before she shoved it away. Everything else could wait until after she had eaten. A minute after closing her door, she remembered the original reason for leaving her room. Without a moment of pause, she burst out of her room and ran out of the dorm building towards where she knew there was food. Her stomach growled at her after her inattention for the past few days. She grabbed a plate and began loading it with food, but even then, she was hardly paying attention. Her thoughts were instead on tomorrow and what she could wear.

* * *

_Greetings once again, faithful readers! I have returned from the infinite void to bestow upon you all this chapter. Savor it well, for I must soon return to the darkness that I come from. What am I on about? No one knows._

_Onto things that are actually coherent, thank you to everyone who took a bit of time to read this. I'm so glad that you are enjoying it and even happier that some of you decided to leave a kind word. I extend this to all of you that caught my post over on Reddit and commented over there. I thank you earnestly and hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Behold, the real beginning of it all. The set up is finished, now it's time to get to the good stuff. I hear your question: how broken can I make these characters? Oh, oh boy, you do not want the answer to that. I apologize in advance._

_On to reviews over here, Order, thanks for stopping by, glad you enjoyed it and thought it was good. My greatest achievement! P4ND4, (that's not the correct use of numbers), glad you like it. I don't think there's nearly enough AU content for DitF, especially given how the anime ended off. Like, come on. The show basically screams at you to take it from there. Opportunity wasted. Once again, thank you. Warriors, I'm glad you like the start, its always the hardest part for me. So much to set up, and if you're like me, writing the first chapter is hardly the beginning of the process. I already had to come up with at least half the story before I could really even start. On the plus side, now I only have to write it (only...), but on the other side of it, it takes so long to get to the fun part, and even further to get to the point where I feel comfortable posting it. Don't worry about length on this, it's shaping up to be a doozy. I've got plans for at least 25 chapters, and that's only what's planned out. Who knows how long it'll take to write (it's going to be a while...*sad, concerned face* but per my promise to you all and myself, it will get written eventually. At least, assuming we all survive the next year. Guest, glad you appreciate the proof reading, I'm actually not sure how some of the stories on this site get written. I assume if you can write something, you can also read. And I would hope that you can pick up on certain grammatical conventions in the process. Ignore me, I'm venting. I'm not really trying to do anything crazy with the setting or the characters, just trying to re-imagine them in a different setting. In fact, the point is kind of just reliving all the great drama and cuteness (okay, it's mostly the cuteness. I have a severe weakness to fluff). Lucky you, you no longer have to wait, for this is the next chapter!_

_Okay, that's done, thank you all once again for reviewing. And to all of you that favorited and followed the story, I get an email for every single one, and it always brings a smile to my face. And if you want an excuse, if you follow the story, you'll get a notification whenever I update (provided you have things set up properly). My update schedule is...chaotic at best. I post when I'm done writing and I write when I have the time and feel like it. So much anime to watch...anyways, it'll happen eventually, so stay tuned. Until then, remember to be generous, but not too generous. It's called a 'blood drive' not a 'blood dry'. That probably sounded better in my head, but too bad, I'm out! Cheers!_

_~Aro_


	4. Chapter 4

Four o'clock the next day couldn't come faster. Hiro was anxious and twitchy all day, and everyone noticed. During breakfast, his head was on a swivel the entire time, hoping to catch a hint of Zero Two. He never saw her. Through all his classes, he split his time between writing down notes and looking at the clock, counting the minutes. His anxiousness steadily increased as 4 and his date with Zero Two came closer and closer.

On the other hand, it was the most engaged his friends had seen him in months. He laughed at jokes during breakfast and even contributed to the conversation, spoke up in class and hints of his past enthusiasm broke through the shroud that had surrounded him for years. It was subtle, but people noticed.

Hiro didn't though. He was too busy trying to come up with what he was going to say to Zero Two.

Finally, 3:15 hit and Hiro's last class let out. He practically ran back to his dorm, ditched his bag, threw on a dark blue shirt that faded to teal towards the top and tried to tame his unruly black hair before deciding he was ready to go. He also still had half an hour until he was supposed to meet Zero Two. He debated between just going over to her room and walking over with her or sticking to his original plan of meeting her there. He was pacing the room, deliberating, when Goro stepped inside.

"Hey, you practically sprinted out of there. You okay?" he asked. Hiro remembered that Goro was in his last class of the day and they usually walked back together.

"No, I'm fine, just…distracted, I guess," he said. Goro looked at him, noting, not for the first time that day, Hiro's sudden increase in enthusiasm and energy. Before, for the last few years really, almost nothing got his best friend this excited. It was refreshing and Goro was almost positive of the source of the change.

"Hmmm," Goro hummed, not betraying his thoughts. He didn't want to get in the way of what might be the best thing to happen to his friend in a long time. "Well, whatever, there'll be other days. Anyways, you might as well get going now, you'll drive me crazy acting like that. Besides, I hear its good manners for they guy to show up to a date early. 'Don't keep the lady waiting' and all that." Goro grinned as Hiro's face slowly turned red. "Just don't overthink it," he said, clapping the shorter boy on the shoulder before gently shoving him out the door.

Hiro stumbled for a moment before catching his footing and looking back at his friend. "Thanks, Goro," he said, smiling and walking down the hall to the elevators. Goro watching him go, happy that he was happy. He just hoped this Zero Two knew what she was doing. Because already, he could tell, Hiro was changing because of her. He just hoped it turned out for the better.

Satisfied, he went back to his desk, pulling out his laptop and notes. Even though he was a Biology major, Jian's curriculum forced him to take Chemistry too, quite possibly one of his least favorite subjects ever. Only a few weeks in and it was already tearing him apart. Resigned to his fate, he forced himself to open his chem book and look over the notes he had taken to try and make sense of them.

He was only a few minutes into his studying when a knock sounded on the door, serving as a blessed distraction. He jerked it open to see Ichigo standing there, looking up at him expectantly. He did his best to speak casually as his pulse sped up.

"Hey Ichigo, what's up?" She peeked past him, looking into the otherwise empty room.

"Is Hiro here? I wanted to talk to him," she said, still looking past him. Goro couldn't help but sigh a little. It was typical for Ichigo to be totally focused on Hiro, a fact that he was all too aware of.

"No, he's not," he said, stepping aside to invite her in. "He was meeting someone; they were going to go have lunch. What did you need?" Goro asked, trying to pull Ichigo's focus from Hiro for at least a moment.

"He's out with that Zero Two girl, isn't he?" she asked, her voice full of conflicting emotions. Goro had been hoping to avoid that topic in particular, all too aware of Ichigo's distaste for the object of Hiro's attention. "I don't like her Goro, there's no way she's good for Hiro. They're way too different, she runs around all crazy; plus they've hardly known each other for a week. And she's way too clingy, calling him 'darling' like that. She's trouble, Goro. I think we should do something."

"Like what?" Goro asked, leaning back in his chair. "And why? Haven't you seen how different he is? He's so much brighter, I haven't seen him like this in years. He actually laughed today. Not just smiled, not just chuckled. Full laughing with a smile on his face. When's the last time you saw that? Like it or not, Zero Two has brought out something in him in a week that we haven't been able to in years. Not since…I think we should at least give him a chance to be happy again. Who are we to say we know best for him? If she hurts him, fine. But so far, he's better than I've seen him in years." He could see Ichigo mulling over his words and for a second, he thought it might have worked. But then the veil came back down.

"I don't think Hiro knows what's good for him. He's too blinded by this girl that he can't see that she's not good for him. I can't just ignore that, even if he can't see it himself." Goro shook his head.

"Ichigo, I really don't think we should get involved. This is between Hiro and Zero Two right now. We shouldn't stick our noses in their business." He regretted his words almost immediately as he saw Ichigo shut him down.

"Fine, you don't want to help me, I'll protect Hiro myself," she said angrily, spinning on her heel and stalking out of the room. Goro sighed and rubbed his forehead in distress.

"It's not Hiro you're trying to protect, Ichigo," he said to himself, ruefully turning back to his homework.

* * *

Zero Two was walking across the school campus, heading for where she had agreed to meet Hiro. Despite her initial hesitation, she was actually looking forward to spending more time with him, though she wasn't sure how to feel about that. 'I'm just curious. Maybe I can figure out why he acts so differently than other guys,' she reasoned. Content with her reasoning, she realized she was where Hiro had told her to meet him. Looking around, she quickly spotted him and his shaggy hair sitting on a bench facing away from her. Spying a perfect opportunity to tease him, she snuck up behind him and pressed his head between her breasts, running her fingers through his unruly hair.

"Miss me?" she cooed to him, enjoying the way he startled against her. He turned to face her and immediately pressed his face into her cleavage. Not that she really minded, especially when he flushed that color because of her.

"Z-zero Two!" he exclaimed, fighting to free himself from his somewhat compromising position. Zero Two held him there for a moment, enjoying his closeness, before relenting and letting him pull away. He quickly stood up, putting an unfortunate amount of distance between them. "You came," he said, the surprise evident on his face along with his adorable, signature blush.

"Of course, I said I would," she said, spinning around the bench to stand in front of him again. "So where are you taking me for our first date? I hope I'm not overdressed." She smoothed out the red sundress that she was wearing, cleverly drawing Hiro's eye to it. The dress, combined with small black boots, black tights, and her signature red headband cut an image that was equal parts cute and alluring. Hiro had to make a significant effort not to stare too much.

"No, no, you look…great, really pretty."

"Aww, thanks. So where are we going?"

"Oh, it's a café I like to go to with my friends, it's right across the street," Hiro said, starting to walk towards the small café. Zero Two quickly caught up with him and walked merrily along side him. Hiro couldn't help but feel nervous, not wanting to accidentally make Zero Two freak out again.

Zero Two could feel Hiro's slight discomfort but didn't really pay it any mind. She was busy watching the people around them, pointing out different groups or individuals that caught her attention. If nothing else, focusing on something else made it easier for Hiro to get more comfortable with the energetic girl walking with him.

It only took a few minutes for the couple to get to the café. Zero Two looked around the interior, enjoying the simple but stylish décor and tables for anywhere between one and twelve people.

"Hiro!" came a feminine voice from behind the counter. Zero Two looked to see a woman who was probably in her mid-twenties with an ample figure and long, curly red hair. A nametag with the name 'Natalie' was pinned to the front of her shirt. "How have you been? I haven't seen you yet this year. And who is this young lady?" she asked, setting her eye on Zero Two.

"Hi Nana," Hiro said, glancing around the mostly empty café. Only a few other people were sitting around, most of them typing away at laptops. "Sorry I haven't been able to come over until now, I've been…busy." He was hardly going to admit having been borderline stalking the girl standing next to him, especially when she was right there. "And this is Zero Two; she's my…friend." The girl in question felt slightly put out at the classification but didn't dwell on it. It was better than 'random person'.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Zero Two," Nana said before looking back at Hiro. "Do you want your usual table? I'm surprised Goro or Ichigo isn't with you," she remarked, peeking out the door to confirm the other two weren't hiding outside. She didn't miss the nervous look on the face of the short boy in front of her.

"Actually Nana, it's just the two of us today." The experienced waitress immediately grasped the situation and grabbed two small menus.

"Oh, how nice. Any particular occasion?" A quick shake of Hiro's head was all the confirmation she needed. Nana set the two menus on one of the more secluded tables in the café before stepping aside to let the couple sit down. "You want your usual to drink, Hiro?" she asked, very familiar with the boy's preferences, to which the boy nodded. "And what for you dear?" The pink-haired girl looked over the menu for a minute before finding something.

"A double strawberry sundae with lots of whipped cream, caramel, and sprinkles. And one of those little cherries," she said, putting her menu down. Nana disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared a minute later with a tall glass filled with ice cream and sugar with a cute cherry on the top and a mug of dark tea.

"There you are, you two. Did you want me to get some food going for you right away?" They both ordered sandwiches, though Zero Two insisted on having a jar of honey be brought to the table, which she promptly poured all over the inside of the bread until it poured out the sides. She dug into it with relish. She didn't miss Hiro watching her eat with a small smile on his face as he took a large bite of his own sandwich.

"Why do you like sweet things so much?" Hiro asked, looking at the caramel remnants on her glass and the honey on her sandwich. "You always seem to put some sort of sugar on everything." Zero Two paused her devouring of her sandwich to look at him.

"Have you been paying that much attention to me?" she asked, flirtatious as ever. Hiro blushed, but didn't look away. Zero Two shrugged, picking her sandwich back up. "I dunno, I just do. Everything tastes better when its sweeter." To prove her point, she licked a slowly falling drop of honey with her long tongue. "Why do you ask?" It was Hiro's turn to shrug at her question.

"I guess I just realized I don't know much about you, other than that you're…"

"I'm what?"

'Beautiful, entrancing, tough but innocent, different, familiar' had been what he was thinking. "…pretty," he finally said, unable to help the blush that continued to decorate his face.

"Aww, thank you," Zero Two cooed, reaching across the small table to finger the hair that was about to fall into his eye. "Your hair's so long. Are you growing it out?"

"Like you can talk," Hiro laughed, gesturing to her own swaying locks. "But no, I just don't really like getting it cut. Besides, it's not like it bothers me having it so long. Though Goro does like to call it 'shaggy'."

Zero Two hummed her agreement. "It is kind of shaggy," she said, running her hand through it one more time before sitting back in her chair. "I like it though. It's so soft and warm. Plus, it made for a great grip the other night." She took another large bite of her sandwich, leaving Hiro to sputter at her words.

A minute passed before either of the two said anything. "So where are you from? You just transferred to Jian this year, right? Where were you going to school before that?" Zero Two thought for a moment before answering.

"Well, I was going to Apus U near Cerasus, but they didn't like me and made me transfer. Not that I cared, it was boring there. Not even any possible candidates. So, they shipped me out over here and are probably hoping I don't punch any teachers."

"Wait, you punched a teacher?" Zero Two shrugged.

"She deserved it."

"She?!"

"She kept telling me to stop fidgeting and I was having a day."

"So you punched her?!"

"Yep!" she said cheerily.

"What were you even doing that she got mad at you for?" Hiro asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"Feeling my boobs." Hiro practically spat his drink out.

"Your…why?" he asked incredulously, hastily wiping away the bit of tea that had escaped his mouth at her bluntness.

"They felt weird. I thought they might have been getting bigger," she said nonchalantly, wiping up some of the leftover caramel on her glass and licking it off her finger. "The professor was kind of a bitch too though, all 'I'm better than you because I say so.' I think she deserved it."

"Clearly," Hiro said, laughing quietly at her frankness. "So you're from Cerasus then?" Zero Two shook her head, still fishing out bits of caramel.

"No, I was just there for school. I moved there as soon as I turned 18. I'm from Garden City."

"Oh, me too!" Hiro said. Maybe that was why she seemed familiar. "Where did you live?"

"East side of the city. An orphanage on Chariot Street."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were an orphan," Hiro said uncomfortably, not sure if he had hit upon a touchy subject. From Zero Two's reaction, he didn't think so.

"It's fine, it's been that way my whole life. Showed up on the doorstep, never got adopted, lived there for 18 years, moved our as soon as I could. And now, I can do whatever I want, and no one can tell me differently," she said dismissively. "Where are you from?" she asked, looking at him through her pink bangs.

"South-west suburb, big apartment building. Goro and Ichigo lived in the same building, and Ikuno, Mitsuru, Futoshi, Zorome, Miku, and Kokoro all lived nearby. We formed our own little gang, always running around the neighborhood, probably terrorizing the place. We're all about the same age, so we got along well."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen. I'm turning twenty in October. You?" he asked, finishing off the rest of his sandwich.

"I don't really know when my birthday is, part of the whole 'getting abandoned' thing. But I like spring, so I just celebrate whenever the cherry blossoms bloom. But I'm twenty already. Guess I'm older than you," she said mischievously. "Hope that's not too terrible for you."

"Of course not, I don't really care."

"Hmm, that's good. For some guys, girls older than them make them uncomfortable." She suddenly dropped her voice. "For some it's even better though," she half-whispered. Once again, heat rose to Hiro's cheeks. 'She is just relentless,' he thought, slightly nervous but far from uncomfortable. Something about her just put him at ease.

"Actually, I've been wondering, what's up with your headband? I've never seen you not wearing it. Other than…that first morning," Hiro said. He trailed off at the end, still not entirely comfortable with what had happened when they first met. Zero Two hesitantly reached up to finger the red crystalline points nestled in her hair.

"It…was a gift. From a long time ago," she said quietly, melancholy tinging her voice. "I made a promise to someone. Someone important. It's a reminder, for when I find them again." Hiro could hear the longing in her voice as she spoke. It seemed familiar, but he couldn't place why.

"That's really nice. I hope you find them again," he said, looking away from the intense stare Zero Two was watching him with. There was a long pause before she looked away as well.

"So do I."

For the rest of their lunch, Zero Two and Hiro both steered away from heavier topics, instead taking turns asking questions like their favorite colors (dark blue and cyan), preferred music (rock and jazz), favorite sport (neither one really watched or played sports), best friend growing up (the mystery person from before and Ichigo), favorite food (candy and watermelon), and the craziest thing they'd ever done (got into a fistfight with three guys and won and jumping off a bridge into a lake).

"Okay, my turn," Zero Two said, the two of them walking down the street. They had left the café a while before and were now walking aimlessly around campus. "What…is your major? I saw that book you were reading the other day, it didn't look like casual reading," she asked, balancing on the half-wall next to the sidewalk.

"Yeah, not exactly. I'm a philosophy major and that was one of the books my professor assigned. We don't have to read the whole thing, thank goodness, but she didn't seem to cut out all that much of it."

"I wouldn't have figured you for a thinker," Zero Two said cheerily, hopping back down onto the path. "I would have guessed music or English."

Hiro gave a short laugh. "No way! I can't keep a tune to save my life. My parents tried to get me to learn the piano when I was little, but I was so terrible my teacher practically called me a lost cause. And I guess I'm decent at writing but wouldn't want to major in it."

"Why philosophy then?"

"…I guess I just liked asking questions. For a while when I was little, I never really stopped. And when people inevitably didn't have an answer, I just started thinking about it myself, trying to answer my own questions with answers that would satisfy me."

"That's…" 'Just what he would have said,' she thought. "Commendable."

"Thanks," Hiro said with a quick smile. "Though I'm not really sure if I'm so set on it anymore." Before Zero Two could ask what he meant, he pushed on. "What about you? What's your major?"

"Dunno. I have a good memory, so school isn't really hard, but I don't really have anything I want to do. Not right now at least."

"Really? No interests, nothing you can see yourself doing in the future?"

"It's just not a priority right now," Zero Two said.

"What is then?" Zero Two said nothing for a moment before answering.

"I'm looking for someone. The person I made that promise with when I was little. But he disappeared, so now I'm looking for him, I guess. Or just someone maybe. I guess I don't really know," she said hesitantly, suddenly unsure of exactly what she had been looking for. Doubt was steadily creeping up on her when she felt a warm hand meet her own.

"Well, I'm sure you'll know it when you see it. You seem like the kind of person to find what they're looking for, no matter what. In a way, I kind of envy that." Hiro paused. "Sometimes I feel like I'm walking in the dark with no idea where I'm supposed to be going. Just going through the motions. You have a goal, Zero Two, that's at least a starting point." They lapsed into an uncertain silence, both of them thinking about the other's words as they walked.

They kept wandering around, chatting aimlessly when Hiro suddenly noticed Ikuno, Kokoro, and Mitsuru walking across the courtyard ahead of them. Kokoro saw them and waved. Mitsuru glanced over, only to turn away with a sour look on his face and walk faster away from them. Kokoro seemed annoyed but didn't chase after him.

"There you are Hiro. We were wondering where you went," Kokoro said.

"Oh, I decided to hang out with Zero Two today. Didn't Goro tell you?" Hiro asked, figuring word would have gone around quickly as to how exactly he was spending his afternoon.

"No," she said, sneaking a glance at his and Zero Two's clasped hands. "He just said you were busy and wasn't sure where you were."

"Huh," Hiro responded, unsure as to why Goro wouldn't say anything. He quickly put it out of his mind. "Oh, I suppose you haven't really met officially, have you? Zero Two, this is Kokoro Geni and Ikuno Loro, my friends from when we were kids. Ikuno, Kokoro, this is Zero Two." Zero Two nodded, vaguely remembering seeing them when she had crashed their breakfast.

"Don't worry Hiro, we know who she is. She's very...distinctive," Ikuno said in her usual, rather flat tone of voice. "We were going to go study, Zorome's coming soon. Want to join us?" she asked bluntly.

Kokoro was quick to step in. "You don't have to if you don't want to. You two look like you're having a good time."

"What makes you say that?" Hiro asked. Kokoro smiled a little wider.

"You're both smiling and holding hands." The two quickly dropped their linked hands to their sides, slightly embarrassed at being caught.

"I've actually got stuff to do before it gets too late," Zero Two said. She turned to Hiro to kiss him goodbye but remembered what he had said the day before. Plus, she had more meaningful conversations with Hiro in the last few hours than she had with anyone in the last couple years entirely. She wasn't so sure what she was feeling at this point. Forced to make a decision, she opted to hug him instead. "Thanks for taking me out, I had a really good time. You going to go to that party on Saturday?" Hiro had no idea what party it was but knew he could figure it out from Miku.

"Maybe. Are you going to go?" he asked. Zero Two smiled coyly over her shoulder.

"Maybe I'll see you there. Bye!" She skipped away, bouncing merrily down the sidewalk. Hiro watched her go, not turning away until she was out of sight. Kokoro giggled slightly and Ikuno rolled her eyes.

"You're ridiculous, Kokoro," she said, resuming her walk towards one of the student lounges.

"Aw, come on, I thought it was cute," Kokoro said, following Ikuno with Hiro close behind.

"Can you please not?" he asked, still embarrassed.

"You remember all the grief you guys all gave me and Mitsuru when we got together?" Kokoro asked, to which Hiro could only nod. The two of them had danced around each other for years before finally starting to officially date. Kokoro smiled sweetly, though it didn't look so sweet now. "This is just a bit of payback. Besides, I can tell you really like her." Hiro blushed again and nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, she's a really interesting person. Something about her…" he trailed off, not entirely sure what he was feeling.

"That's just what I thought about Mitsuru," Kokoro said cheerily, her smile widening further as they spotted Mitsuru sitting at a large table, already hard at work behind a laptop. Hiro, however, was lost in his own thoughts.

"Maybe…" he muttered, absently sitting down at the table and pulling out his phone. He borrowed a piece of paper and pencil from Ikuno, who always had spares, and started to formulate an essay he had just been assigned. The whole time he was glancing at the new contact number that had been added to his phone only an hour earlier, trying to at least get an idea of what he was feeling.

Lying in bed hours later, he still had no idea.

* * *

_Hey everyone, sorry for sitting on this for so long, but life is even more of a horror right now than usual, so things got delayed. I'll try to post another chapter soon, through I want to get one up for 'Revival of the Gods' first. Which you should also go check out if you haven't already. Because what else do you have to do? Still, thanks a lot for all the support you all have given me on this. I really do appreciate it; every favorite and follow makes me smile._

_Now speaking of support, how about the reviews? Order, glad that you're still enjoying the story. Yeah, procrastination. Sure is a thing. That only happens to other people. Not me though. Noooo... Samapoke, so glad you enjoyed the story so far. I'm glad that you found the drive to write your own story. Something I definitely recommend though is not to rush it if you want to post it. I sat on the idea for this story for a good three weeks, working on small aspects of it until I knew who the characters were and what story I wanted to tell. Take your time with it, reread your first chapters a few times, don't be afraid to change what you don't like or doesn't fit. It also helps you make sure your story isn't going to be a flash in the pan, especially if you want to write something longer than a few chapters. Also so glad and proud of you for working through your depression. I can't say I know what that's like, but I have the utmost respect for you for pushing through it. All things shall pass, remember to be patient with yourself and others. And don't forget to eat. Don't be hangry (it's hungry-angry. We know this right? It's a known thing? Not just me? Please, don't just be me). __Also thanks to Migomomb and Waffles09 over on Reddit for commenting there. I'll never be one to complain about more feedback._

_Well, as much as I want to drag this on, I don't have much else to say. If your reading this, it means you've already sat through enough of my ramblings for one day. __Hope you enjoyed the drama here, there's plenty more to come. T__hanks again for reading, leave some feedback, follow the story so you know when it gets updated, have a good day, enjoy the weather, don't pick your nose in front of your crush/significant other/whatever else there is these days, salutations, and have a great day! Cheers!_

_~Aro_


	5. Chapter 5

Hiro asked Miku about the party Zero Two mentioned the next day. Being all knowing about all things involving parties, she was quick with an answer.

"Well, I've heard of a few going on Friday night. There's even a group of people who are planning on hanging out in one of the parks and seeing how long it takes before someone calls the cops," she said, chuckling at the audacity of the idea. Hiro smiled, but was still waiting for the real answer. "Saturday there's a couple going on, but the biggest is supposed to be down at the Glimbaugh brothers' house. I was planning on going, and I think Zorome and Futoshi were going with some of their friends too. Why, are you actually planning on going to a party without any of us dragging you along?" Miku asked, surprised.

"I'm thinking about it," Hiro said, not quite keeping eye contact for fear he'd reveal his desire to see Zero Two again and be the subject of further teasing. Unfortunately, Miku was quick to catch on.

"Hmmm, maybe there's a reason you want to go. A certain someone maybe?" she said with a sly look on her face. Hiro sighed, knowing he was found out, but refused to say anything other than a quick thanks before leaving Miku to her scheming. Zorome walked up to Miku, munching on an apple.

"Whazat 'bout?" he asked, bits of juice jumping from his mouth. Miku jerked away from him, shooting him a disgusted look.

"Gross," she muttered, walking away quickly. Zorome chased after her, not knowing what he had done to tick her off this time.

* * *

Once again, Hiro didn't see Zero Two at all over the next few days. The closest he got was hearing her door close just as he was leaving his room, but she must have been coming back, because the common room was empty when he rushed into it. He mentally scolded himself for being so distracted by her, but he couldn't bring himself to really care. He still didn't know what he really thought of her, but he was determined to find out.

Finally, Saturday came, and Hiro rose with the sun as usual. His friends never ceased to make fun of him for waking up early on the weekends when he didn't even have anything to do, but he didn't particularly care. He enjoyed the quiet of the morning when everyone else was sleeping. Plus, he got to see some fantastic sunrises and read a lot of books uninterrupted that way.

Making a cup of tea for himself, he settled into one of the plush chairs in the dorm common room, sipping at the hot liquid and paging through his latest science fiction novel, this one about a boy from an underground village that found a buried robot and ended up in space fighting to save the universe.

'Not for me, thanks,' Hiro thought as the hours ticked past, people coming and going as they woke up, chatted with each other, and drank their morning coffee. It was nearing noon and the end of his book when he heard a door slam shut and saw a pink head of hair out of the corner of his eye. He immediately jumped up, joints popping in protest of the sudden movement.

"Zero Two!" Hiro called, causing the young woman to look at him, sleep still heavy in her eyes.

Zero Two heard his call through her tiredness, but quickly turned away, saying something about seeing him tonight as she hurried into the elevator. The doors shut, cutting her off from Hiro. It wasn't that she really wanted to avoid him, she rationalized, she just didn't want him to see her so disheveled. She had only just woken up when she realized the food court would soon be switching over to lunch food, and she desperately needed a stack of pancakes with honey and whipped cream, not leaving her any time to really dress properly or fix her hair more than tying it back. She didn't really know why she cared about how she looked in front of Hiro, but she did. She tried not to let it bother her, instead focusing on her breakfast.

Meanwhile, Hiro was left confused in the common room. Zero Two had definitely recognized him, she had even said she'd see him tonight, but otherwise hadn't really acknowledged him. Hiro wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt but was still a little hurt that she hadn't stopped to talk to him. It seemed she was flighty at the best of times, and Wednesday afternoon might have been a fluke, or at least out of character for her.

Unable to quiet his thoughts, Hiro scooped up his book and went back to his and Goro's room. The other boy was sitting at his desk, working on something on his computer. He glanced at his roommate before fully turning to look at him.

"Let me guess, Zero Two again?" he said, recognizing the look on his long-time friend's face that was showing up more and more.

"I guess," Hiro said, sitting down on his bed, absently riffling through the pages of his book. Goro didn't bother pressing him further, knowing his friend would talk if he wanted to.

"I just saw her in the common room, but she barely said a word to me," Hiro finally said. "She just left right away, like we barely knew each other."

"To be fair, that's kind of how it is," Goro said, bringing Hiro's gaze up to his own. "You met barely a week ago and have hardly seen each other since then. You don't really know what kind of person she is." Hiro pondered this, not saying anything as the gears in his mind tried to solve his problem. "Look, if you're that concerned about it, just ask her tonight. You said she was going to be at that party, right?" A short nod. "Then just wait until then and ask her. There's no use in worrying about something you can't do anything about, right?"

"Right," Hiro said quietly, not sounding entirely convinced, but it seemed to be enough to pull him out of his thoughts a bit. Goro knew that was something that happened all too often, Hiro disappearing into his mind for hours at a time. Knowing Hiro couldn't recognize what he felt yet, Goro felt he had to keep him from delving too deeply into it. He'd figure it out eventually, just not yet.

The day passed, and before Hiro knew it, dusk had almost completely fallen. He nervously got ready to go over to the party, which had likely already started, not really sure what to expect. Would he be able to find Zero Two? Would they talk, or would the night take the same turn it had last time?

"Have a good time," Goro said, looking up from his phone briefly to see his friend off.

"Thanks," Hiro said quickly, shutting the door behind him.

It wasn't exactly a long walk to the house party, only about ten or fifteen minutes, but the steps seemed to drag to Hiro. Whether it was out of trepidation or something else, he didn't know, but when he heard the music blasting from the house when he reached it, he still didn't feel ready. Feeling horribly out of place, he slipped into the house.

It was a big place, at least for a college house, making it easy to see why a party was hosted there. An impromptu dance floor had been formed between the dining room and the living room, a large pair of speakers set up in the latter being the source of the loud pop music. Hiro delved deeper, snagging a cup of mild alcohol along the way, not wanting to appear as out of place as he felt. He wandered around for a while, eventually ending up in the backyard. He looked around, hoping to see Zero Two's distinctive headband and pink hair among the crowd of college kids, but had no such luck. He kept roaming, determined to find the young woman.

He had almost made a full two laps through the party when he caught a glimpse of familiar pink in a side room, a small den from the looks of it. A couple small groups of friends were sitting inside, chatting away from the main noise of the party, but the only person Hiro recognized was the object of his search, sitting on a chair on the far side of the room.

More specifically, sitting on the lap of a handsome man, looking at him and laughing at something he said. Her hand, the same hand he had held in his own only a few days before, came up to rest in the middle of the man's chest, a teasing smile on Zero Two's face. Hiro stared at them, caught completely unprepared for the sight, when the pink hair girl's teal eyes met his own blue. Hiro quickly broke their gaze and walked away, leaving his half empty cup forgotten.

He walked without thinking, ending up in the backyard again, sitting on a railing and trying to understand what was going on. He felt…betrayed, though he was sure he didn't have any reason to. Ichigo had warned him, told him time and again that Zero Two was with a different guy at every party. Zero Two had even told him herself in a fit of emotion. So why was he surprised? Did he think of himself as different? Did he really think he was anything more than a passing fancy for her?

Hiro turned the thoughts over and over in his head when a pair of arms landed on the railing next to him. He glanced over to see another guy, maybe a little older than him, leaning against the railing.

"Sweet party, right?" the other boy said, twisting a cup in his hands. Hiro looked away, looking for the first time at the crowds of people in the backyard. Someone had lit a fire in a firepit as the gloom of night descended and people were slowly gathering around it.

"Yeah, I guess," Hiro said disinterestedly. The other guy looked at him more closely, the tone in his voice not missed.

"Uh oh, sounds like girl trouble," he said with a slightly drunken smile.

"Something like that," Hiro said, happy at least for a moment to have someone understand what he was thinking, even if he didn't himself. The guy shook his head.

"I've been where you are, bro. Girl's done something crazy again, you don't know what to think of it. Just an adorable quirk, a weird phrase, or something else? Take my word for it dude, thinking about isn't going to do you any good. Better to just face it head on. Go ask her what the hell she meant. It's gonna save you a massive headache." Hiro pondered the man's words, turning them over in his head, before realizing he was doing the exact opposite of what he was saying. Hiro threw it all out and decided to just do something.

"Thanks, I think you're right." The guy nodded, took another swig of his drink, and turned to rejoin the party. "Hey!" Hiro called after him, making the guy stop. "Have you seen a girl with pink hair around at all?"

The man thought a minute before answering. "Oh yeah, her. I think I just saw her leaving. Looked like she was done for the night." Hiro immediately rushed past him, calling his thanks over his shoulder as he rushed out of the house, looking both ways down the street and, not seeing anything resembling Zero Two, started off back towards campus. He purposefully didn't think as he walked, instead focusing on finding Zero Two.

He rounded a corner, walking quickly, and saw a familiar head of hair ahead of him. She was walking slowly, and Hiro would have no trouble catching up to her. He was only a half block behind her when he saw Zero Two fall to her hands and knees next to the sidewalk and throw up into the grass. Worry immediately crashed over him and he broke out into a run toward her.

"Zero Two! Zero Two, are you okay?" he yelled, causing Zero Two to turn to look at him, a thousand emotions twisting in her eyes.

"Hiro?"

* * *

Zero Two had been having a great time at the party, any thoughts of her feelings lost in the familiar haze of music, drinking, and flirting. She had already found a target for the night, sitting and laughing with him in the usual way, dutifully ignoring the feeling that something was missing about it. Her laughter felt more forced than usual, and she found herself putting moves on him sooner than she usually would, desperate for distraction. She had just put her hand on his chest after laughing at some asinine joke when she turned her head and saw him.

He was gone a moment later, making her question if she had even seen him at all, but an abandoned cup told her that she hadn't been mistaken.

"What's wrong, darlin'?" the man who's lap she was sitting on asked. She turned back to look at him, an uneasiness suddenly appearing at his words. 'Darling' echoed in her brain, reminding her of a sleeping young man, a wide smile, and tangled black hair. The echo grew until it was pounding against her skull, making her slightly nauseous. She abruptly stood up, shoving the man's arm off her waist, spilling his drink in the process. His exclamation of surprise didn't even register to Zero Two, who was frantically looking for somewhere with more air. She saw the front door open and rushed towards it, desperately inhaling the cooling night air. Her headache redoubled and her stomach churned, nearly making her vomit into the grass. She barely kept it down and managed to recover slightly.

Once she was sure she wasn't in danger of throwing up on her shoes, she steadied herself against the house. Her stomach still felt uneasy and only became worse when she considered going back inside. She had to force her bile down at the thought of the man she had just been all over, his very existence suddenly a source of disgust. With no other option presenting itself to her, Zero Two stumbled away from the house and started walking back towards the school, her hands resting on her still pounding head and rolling stomach.

She walked slowly, periodically having to focus very hard on keeping the contents of her stomach down. She had never felt like this, never felt her guts clench at a single word.

Darling.

It still echoed in her mind, filling the space between her ears with its syllables. It was what she had always called the men she was with, and sometimes what they had called her, but it had never felt so wrong. The way that guy had said it was…insincere, casual. That wasn't what it meant. If there was one thing the old man at the orphanage she grew up in had pounded into her head, it was that words carried a weight to them. It was only now that she actually felt that weight. Memories of all the times she had called someone her darling flashed through her mind. The torrent became stronger and stronger, pushing at the borders of her mind, until she was overwhelmed, and the pounding became too much for force.

Falling to her knees next to the sidewalk, the alcohol finally came up, burning her throat along with the meager contents of her stomach. She kneeled there, retching, when she heard a voice calling that name to her, one only a few people knew.

She turned her head and saw him running towards her, concern evident in his eyes.

"Hiro?" she asked breathlessly. A moment later, her stomach heaved again, and she began to throw up again. She expected Hiro to look at her with pity, but he dropped down next to her and put his warm hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly. Spittle dripped from her open lips when she was done, quickly wiped away with a fallen leaf.

"Zero Two, are you okay? You look terrible," Hiro said from beside her. She didn't doubt his words, tears having leaked from her eyes from the intensity of her vomiting. They seemed to still be dripping out, but she was sure they'd stop soon. Her hair was frazzled too, probably a mess. Regardless, she pushed herself upright and away from Hiro, her chest aching.

"I'm fine, you should go back to the party," she said, trying to resume her walk towards campus. She felt lightheaded almost immediately, only prevented from falling by Hiro catching her in deceptively strong arms.

"You're clearly not fine," he said, letting her hang on his shoulders. "I'm taking you back to your room, you shouldn't be going anywhere like this, much less alone." Zero Two still couldn't accept that.

"No, I don't want to ruin your night. Go back to the party, have fuoohhhh…," she tried to insist, trailing off into a groan as her stomach revolted against her again. Hiro shook his head, shifting more of her weight onto his shoulder.

"It's fine. I was only there looking for you anyways." She was shocked into silence, which gave Hiro enough time to start dragging her towards campus. She had no choice but to lean on him and try to keep her feet under herself through the incessant pounding of her head.

Before she realized it, Zero Two was slumped against the wall of the elevator as it rose to the fourth floor of their dorm. Her headache had worsened slightly, and her mouth tasted like bile. "Almost there, Zero Two," Hiro mumbled. "Just a minute longer." He hauled her up again, both of them stumbling out of the elevator and taking a quick left. Zero Two's door was the first one down the hallway and they reached it quickly.

"Where's your key?" he asked, looking at her properly for the first time that night. She was wearing a clinging, dark green dress that complimented her eyes wonderfully. Hiro quickly reprimanded himself for looking at her like that when she was clearly in pain.

"It's…not locked…" Zero Two gasped out, shoving the door open to her room open.

'Figures,' Hiro thought before letting her drop onto her bed. Zero Two clutched her head lightly, the short drop not helping her headache.

"Water," she groaned, lifting herself slightly off the bed.

"I'll get you some," Hiro said quietly. "Just stay here, okay?" He waited until he got a small nod from her before he left the room and hurried to the communal kitchen and filled a glass of water. He came back just as Zero Two pulled her dress over her head and tossed it to the ground, leaving her in her underwear. Hiro quickly looked away, a furious blush rising to his face. Luckily, Zero Two either didn't notice or wasn't in a teasing mood. She just pulled on a loose shirt and slumped on the bed.

"Here, drink this. Slowly." Hiro gave her the water and helped her drink it in small sips. Drinking it too quickly would only make her stomach worse. She still finished it quickly and let Hiro push her down so she was laying on the large bed.

"So forceful…" she said weakly, trying to tease him, but was only rewarded with more pain from her head.

"Just sleep, okay? You're probably a mix of drunk and hungover. It's probably not going to be any better tomorrow. You need to rest." Hiro covered her with a blanket, making sure she was tucked in properly. He could already see her eyes drooping. He made to leave when her cold hand caught his own.

"Please stay," he heard her ask in a tiny voice, so completely unlike how she normally was. She looked so pitiful to him, bundled up into her bed, teal eyes pleading with him, pink hair splayed out beneath her with her arm stretched towards his own. Hiro's heart burned and he couldn't bear to leave her. Tugging a chair over to the bedside, he sat in it, still holding the girl's hand. He settled in and Zero Two relaxed, sleep quickly closing in on her.

"Thank you….Darling…" she mumbled, eyes sliding shut as exhaustion took her and she felt at peace for the first time in days. Her fingers relaxed, but Hiro didn't let them go. He sat at her bedside as she breathed quietly, entranced by her quiet beauty. He gave up on going back to his room that night, instead vowing that he'd be there for Zero Two if she needed anything.

Half an hour later, he was slumped over next to her, soundly asleep, their fingers still intertwined.

* * *

_Hello hello, welcome back! Hope you liked the chapter! And I'm guessing at least a few of you did. I'd like to just take a moment to appreciate what a gift drunk characters are. Truly, nothing solves problems like one of your characters getting stupid drunk and acting or saying things they maybe shouldn't. But they do, and things get interesting from there. The real question is how is Hiro going to react in the morning? Guess you'll just have to wait to find out._

_As for some reviews, I think I had some of those around here somewhere. *Proceeds to dig through a pile of stuff for an hour* Ah yes, here they are. Order of Alignment, thank you once again. I continue to be glad that you continue to enjoy the story. Ivan, glad to have you hooked. Now I can drag you around before pulling you up, gutting you, and frying your body for dinner. Or at least that's what it's going to feel like by the time I'm done. Hopefully not literally though, that would suck. There will be an ending, as for satisfying, I sure hope so, but I'll leave that for you to decide ultimately. Poco, happy that you enjoyed. Please be patient with me as far as posting chapters, I do the best I can. I'm trying for you guys! I too noticed a lack of good stories that aren't retellings of the original story, hence this story! Hope you continue to enjoy! Godamora, wholesomeness is what I, and I assume all of us, live for. I endeavor to keep it that way, though it's definitely not going to be smooth sailing all the way. Guest, I'd like to think at least some of Hiro's friends have good intentions for their interfering. Or at least, what they think are good intentions (*ahem*Ichigo*ahem*). Only time will tell though._

_And with that...that's all I've got really. Stay tuned for the next chapter (I've already got it written and am even working on the next one), follow, favorite, review, do a handstand if you can (I can't), stay safe, watch some anime you weeb, and I'll see you all next time! Cheers!_

_~Aro_


	6. Chapter 6

Hiro woke up the next morning, immediately realizing he was not in his own room. For one, he wouldn't have slept in such an uncomfortable position if he had access to his bed. As for the second reason, he knew his room didn't smell like a girl and their unique soft fragrance.

He slowly pushed himself up off the bed, joints creaking as they shifted for the first time in hours. He blearily wiped his eyes with one hand, not remembering falling asleep. His other hand was still trapped in Zero Two's tight grip, though he could only feel it, not see it, his hand having been pulled under the covers. He felt a distinct source of warmth on the back of his hand and tried not to think about where it was coming from, through from where Hiro's arm disappeared under the blankets, he guessed it was somewhere on her chest. He didn't dare consider any further than that.

Not that he didn't have other things to consider. Sometime during the night, Zero Two had stuck one of her legs out from under the covers, leaving from her toes to her thigh exposed. Hiro did his best not to stare at the creamy smooth flesh for long, but it, just like every other part of Zero Two, entranced him beyond belief. Eventually, he managed to look at her face, barely peeking out from under her blanket. She was as beautiful as she had looked the night before. Hiro contented himself with watching over her until she woke up, which didn't take long.

"Mmph. Mmmm…" she mumbled as she slowly woke up. She tugged his hand up to her mouth and slipped her tongue out, tasting his skin, warm from her chest. "Hmm, Darling…" she cooed quietly. Then she got a taste of her own mouth and quickly woke up. "Mmm, bleh, that's so gross," she grumbled, sitting up and wiping the sleep out of her eyes. Hiro's eyes were immediately drawn to where his hand had been resting. Her shirt had fallen down on one shoulder, leaving the upper slope of one of her breasts exposed, the hem just barely covering her nipple. He couldn't help but stare a moment before remembering himself and looking away.

Zero Two dragged herself out of bed, pulling a toothbrush out of somewhere and started walking towards the door, only stopping when her and Hiro's arms pulled at each other. She looked at their entwined hands for a moment before realizing what was wrong. She slowly and reluctantly let go of his hand, their fingers stiff after being locked together all night.

"Stay here," she croaked. "I'll be right back." She quickly shut the door, leaving Hiro alone in her room. He looked around, taking in the slightly messy room, discarded clothes scattered around the laundry bin she had sitting in the corner, clearly thrown in that direction with less than perfect accuracy. With nothing else to do, he walked over and started picking up shirts and pants to toss in the bin. He absently realized it was 6 in the morning, earlier than even he usually woke up. He blamed it on his uncomfortable sleeping situation.

The door of the room opened just as Hiro was picking up the last of the clothes. Zero Two leaned against the door, somehow still looking incredible with bedhead and a too big shirt.

"I guess you really are a pervert, Darling," Zero Two said quietly, clearly still tired as she leaned on the wood. Hiro didn't understand what she meant until he looked down and saw the last article of clothing he was holding was one of her bras, and a lacy one at that. He quickly tossed it in the basket, face igniting into crimson.

"I was just-" he tried to explain, but was quickly cut off.

"It's fine, I don't really care," Zero Two said, shutting the door again and stumbling back over to the bed. She collapsed back into it. "Thank you for taking care of me, Darling. You didn't have to do that for me."

"Sure I did," Hiro immediately said. He blushed again and itched his neck uncomfortably. "I mean, I couldn't just leave you there like that."

"No, I suppose you couldn't," she said wistfully, settling back under the covers. She held one of the edges up, looking at Hiro expectantly. "Well, come on. You couldn't have slept well in that chair all night. It's still early enough to get some more sleep."

"Is that really okay?" Hiro asked hesitantly, unsure of what he should do. He was still tired, a bed would feel nice, and he didn't really want to leave Zero Two yet, but sleeping in the same bed as her seemed a step too far. "I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you to do anything." Zero Two huffed a little.

"Come on Darling, we've done the same thing with far fewer clothes involved. There's no reason to be shy." Hiro scooted a little closer, which was all Zero Two needed to grab hold of him and tug him into the bed. She kicked his shoes off his feet and pulled him under the covers. "Besides, you're my Darling. You're the one person who is absolutely allowed to do this with me." She started to snuggle into his chest.

"Just for the day though?" Hiro asked, remembering what she had said their first night together. Zero Two froze and looked up at him, scanning his face for a moment before relaxing again.

"No, from now on, you're my only Darling. No one else will be," she said quietly. Hiro could tell she was sincere and slowly wrapped his arms around her, making her jump a little before she smiled and snuggled in closer.

"Well, if we're dating, I guess there's nothing wrong with it," Hiro said, which Zero Two quickly agreed to. She wasn't sure if 'dating' was all she felt towards her darling, but if that satisfied him, she wasn't going to complain one bit. She snuggled him again but couldn't quite get comfortable. Annoyed, she pulled his t-shirt over his head, leaving him bare-chested. Hiro sputtered weakly, but his protests died once Zero Two laid her head on his shoulder, their warmth leaking into each other.

Her breasts squished against his side and her leg draped over his own, but Hiro couldn't say he didn't enjoy her physical closeness. Zero Two inhaled deeply and sighed happily, glad to have Hiro back in her arms. Hiro did the same, smelling the sweet scent he now recognized as hers. Holding her a little tighter, he slipped back to sleep slowly, not knowing if he was already dreaming when Zero Two stretched up and kissed him on the jaw.

* * *

Goro woke up at 8:30, earlier than he might have liked on a Sunday, but he got up, knowing he likely wouldn't be able to fall back asleep with the morning light shining into his and Hiro's room. He glanced at his roommate's bed and was unsurprised to see the covers hadn't been moved since last night.

"As I guessed," he thought to himself, pulling on fresh slacks and a polo before wandering out to the common room. A few people were scattered around, most notably Ichigo looking very much not awake and sipping at a cup of coffee. Goro poured himself a cup, adding a liberal amount of cream, and joined her.

"Morning Goro," she said huskily. Goro couldn't keep his heart from briefly skipping a beat, but he ignored it.

"Good morning, Ichigo. Just got up?" he asked, getting a quick nod from the young woman in return.

"Is Hiro in your room? I haven't seen him yet today." Goro smiled thinly, knowing she wouldn't like the answer but owing it to her all the same.

"No, he's not there. Didn't sleep there last night either."

"Huh? Well, where is he? Aren't you concerned?" Ichigo was immediately on alert, as she always was when it came to Hiro. Goro shrugged.

"No, I know where he is. If he didn't sleep in his room, there's only one other place he'd be. I'm sure they're fine."

"They?" Ichigo said, confused. It only took a moment for everything to click. "He's with that girl, isn't he?" Goro shrugged again.

"I can only assume so. He went to a party last night with the sole purpose of finding her and sorting things out with her. If he didn't come back to our room, I can only assume it all worked out."

Ichigo was practically shaking. "I-If he's with her, then they're…" She quickly stood up and started walking down the girls' hallway. She pushed the first door open and froze. Goro rushed after her and saw why.

Zero Two and Hiro were both laying in bed in each other's arms, sound asleep with small smiles on their faces. Goro saw his friend's discarded shirt and shoes, but nothing else and assumed nothing really happened. Ichigo, on the other hand, seemed completely stunned, watching the couple sleep. Hiro shifted slightly, turning his head into Zero Two's and breathed deeply, his smile twitching slightly upwards. Not seeing the need to loiter, Goro gently pulled Ichigo out of the room and eased the door shut.

The moment the door clicked shut, Ichigo wandered back towards her coffee, eyes unfocused. Goro trailed after her, not wanting to step on any triggers that might make the slim girl explode. The young woman stared at her cooling drink, unable to reconcile what she had seen.

"Why is he clinging to her? She doesn't actually care for him. She just wants to use him. He's too good for her. He's kind, caring, soft-spoken, smart, witty when he wants to be. She's…she's a floozy, bitchy, cruel, uncaring, spiteful two-bit whore! She doesn't deserve him!"

"And you do?" Goro said quietly, knowing he might make Ichigo hate him with the suggestion. The blue-haired girl glared at her long-time friend.

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying Hiro deserves better than some tramp that will leave him as soon as better prey comes along! She doesn't get to have Hiro!"

"That's not your choice." Goro and Ichigo turned to see Zero Two standing there in an oversized shirt, holding an empty glass, fury burning in Ichigo's eyes.

"Sure, you think you can say anything when you just had sex with him again," the short girl said with venom. "He's not some toy for you to play with and throw away like the bratty child you are."

"I know that," Zero Two said with a deadpan voice. "Darling and I decided this morning that we were going to be together properly. And I didn't sleep with him again."

"Then how do you explain him sleeping in your bed with you wrapped around him like a leech?" Ichigo shot back, her anger not abated in the slightest.

"He followed me home from a party last night. I was drunk and throwing up a few blocks away from school. He pulled me back here, helped clean me up, and slept in a chair all night. He didn't sleep well, so I dragged him back to bed so he could sleep properly when I woke up this morning." Her eyes misted slightly, and a small smile appeared on her face. "He refused to leave me alone, even when I told him to."

"Of course he did, that's who Hiro is," Ichigo said, still glaring at the taller girl, who shook her head.

"No, you don't get it." She finished filling her glass with water and turned to leave.

"What don't I get, Iota?!" Ichigo yelled after her, making the pink-haired woman freeze. "That's right, I know your real name. I don't know why you bother to go by something as stupid as 'Zero Two' anyways." Zero Two slowly turned to look at the other young woman, her eyes dead cold.

"Don't use that name. I hate that name," she said quietly, her eyes practically glowing with a silent threat. "I was terrible to him, you know. I used him, teased him, led him on, and then tried to drop him. He caught me, and I was repulsed by myself. He found me crouched in the grass, vomiting, and ran to help. He went to that party to find me, and I was hanging off another man's arm. And this morning, he acted like it hadn't happened. He is kind and forgiving, understanding and grounding. I was so alone before I ran into him, and he instantly changed my life. I was miserable and thanks to him, now I can try to be a little happier. Because of him. That's who he is, you jealous bitch. And he chose me." Zero Two walked off without another word, disappearing down the hallway. They heard her door open and shut again before Ichigo began physically shaking with rage.

"She…how can she…that…who does she think she is?!" Ichigo growled, her voice rising until she was practically yelling. "I ought to go-"

"Don't," Goro said sadly, holding the short girl back. She spun around to face him.

"Why not? Why shouldn't I? What is so special about her?!"

"Because she's just as broken as Hiro." Goro's words finally shut Ichigo up, shocking her. "Do you know what Hiro talks to me about?" Goro asked quietly. Ichigo shook her head.

"Well, that's the thing. For years, it's nothing. He doesn't talk about it. Not about the accident, not about his mom, not about his dad, not about what he wants, not about how he feels. We haven't had a meaningful conversation in literal years. Until a week ago when he met Zero Two."

"That's not her name-" Ichigo tried to interrupt, but Goro cut her off.

"It doesn't matter. To Hiro, it is. She made him open up. He did the same thing for her. And I think it's because they can both see that the other is broken, even if they don't realize it. They don't want someone to support them, they want to be the support for someone else. And if they can be that for each other, then I think they should."

"They'll just get hurt. Not just Hiro, both of them. They'll tear each other apart eventually."

"Maybe," Goro said thoughtfully. "But that's life. You make friends, lose them, fall in love, break up. They might end up breaking each other even more. But I think they could change each other for the better. We at least owe it to Hiro to let them try." He could tell Ichigo didn't necessarily agree, but he believed what he said. Hiro and Zero Two might be just what the other needed.

* * *

Zero Two eased her door shut, still fuming at her Darling's friend's audacity. Calling her by that name and doubting her intentions with Hiro. Maybe before the previous night, she could have had a point. But not anymore. She even had the nerve to disregard Hiro's kindness towards her as just how he was. Having been on the receiving end of that kindness and compassion, Zero Two knew it was so much more potent than that.

Forcing any thoughts of irritation out of her head, Zero Two walked back over to her bed where her Darling was still sleeping peacefully. Taking a sip from the glass of water, Zero Two carefully slipped back under the covers, nestling her head against his collar bone. Her eyes swept over him, taking in his slim frame, hints of muscles beneath the surface of his skin showing he was more accustomed to writing than weights. Still, she felt comfort in his thin arms like she hadn't felt in years.

Her feelings only strengthened as her gaze slid to his face, utterly relaxed and peaceful. His pale lips followed the same line as his jaw. His nose flared slightly with every gentle breath. His black hair, which she was beginning to think was just eternally messy, hung down on his forehead and nearly obscured his closed eyes. Zero Two knew that behind those closed lids were orbs of deepest blue, full of caring and selfless kindness. Unable to help herself, she moved in closer, fitting her entire body against his, sniffing and licking at his neck. She loved the way he smelled, a soft musk that was only his, and the taste of his skin was much the same.

She desperately wanted to feel his hands on her body like he had the night they first met. He had been delightful, forceful but far from dominating and overbearing. The taste of his lips resounded in her memory, fueling her desire to taste as much of him as possible. She had yet to find a place on him that tasted as good as his lips had, but she would keep searching. Though maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to get a little refresher. Surely he wouldn't mind.

Zero Two carefully moved until she was face to face with her sleeping boyfriend. Suddenly apprehensive, she leaned in slowly, eyes fixed on her goal. She was so focused that she didn't notice Hiro's eyes slide open. Their lips were only an inch away from each other, their breaths mingling, when Hiro's moved.

"Zero Two? What are you doing?" he asked, quickly coming back to full consciousness. Zero Two's aquamarine eyes shot from her target to his own eyes, staring at him like a kid caught in the cookie jar.

"Nothing," she said, the statement almost sounding like a question instead of a fact. She pulled back, shifting on the bed, forgetting that she was completely pressed against Hiro, something he became immediately aware of. Zero Two couldn't help but grin teasingly when she felt something pressing against her leg. "Happy to see me, Darling?" she asked, white teeth flashing. Hiro turned crimson and shied away from her.

"Sorry, I just wasn't expecting…I didn't…sorry," he finished, unsure what to say.

"It's okay Darling, it's nothing I haven't felt before. Or would mind feeling again," she purred, slipping back into her seductive persona, crawling slowly towards him. She knew he could see at least part of her breasts through the wide neck of her shirt judging from how he kept looking at her face, glancing down, and averting his eyes, only to repeat the action. She found it absurdly cute.

"Zero Two, I don't think we should. I mean, we're only just starting out properly. We shouldn't jump into anything," he said firmly, despite his nervousness. Wanting to respect his wishes, Zero Two relented, sitting back on the bed so they were facing each other.

"Fine. But if you change your mind…" she trailed off, purposely letting her shirt fall off her shoulder, exposing more of her creamy skin to his eyes. She smiled again when he visibly gulped.

"S-sure…" he didn't sound confident, but Zero Two knew he would warm up to it.

"I should probably get going," Hiro said, pulling himself out of the sheets and grabbing his shirt off the floor. Zero Two silently mourned as he tugged it back onto himself, covering his slim chest. "Do…you still mean what you said this morning? About me being your…Darling? Your only Darling?" he asked, tugging on his shoes. Zero Two was surprised by the question, thinking they had already settled the matter.

"Of course," she said immediately. "From now on, you're my only Darling."

"So you're my girlfriend then, right?" Zero Two huffed, slightly annoyed by his persistence.

"Yes, of course I am-" She was abruptly cut off as Hiro spun and pressed his lips to hers, locking her into a scorching kiss. He broke it a moment later before she could react and immediately made for the door.

"Had to be sure. I'll see you for dinner, okay? I'll be in the common room, just come out whenever you want to eat. We can go together," he said, as if nothing had happened. "Bye Zero Two," he said, closing the door behind him.

Zero Two stared at where he had disappeared in shock, hardly believing what had just happened. Hiro had kissed her, completely unprompted. Her Darling had kissed her. Her tongue flickered out, finding the lingering taste of him on her lips. That was the real taste of her Darling, the one she'd never be able to find anywhere else. And he had kissed her, with no effort on her part. Which meant he wanted to do it. Which meant he would probably want to do it again. Zero Two found his taste again and fell back on her messy bed, surrounded by his scent and with the taste of his lips on her own. She had to grab a pillow to stifle her overjoyed scream, and even then, some of the noise still escaped. Even better, the pillow she grabbed was the one he had been laying on, letting her directly inhale his quiet scent.

She wasn't sure how she would manage to wait for tonight. She was hungry now, hungry for more of her new boyfriend.

* * *

_Hey everyone, sorry this one has been a while coming. Full disclosure, I've had it done for a while, but didn't want to post it too soon after the last one. Then life happened and now we're here. Not sure when the next one is going to be out, as I'm trying to focus on my other story 'Revival of the Gods' and finish that up before the end of August. So that's taking up most of my writing focus, other than a 'for fun' project that I use to relax. Cause writing for you guys is stressful and takes time, mostly because I won't settle for shoddy writing on this. I do it because I care!_

_On to some reviews, I first want to say that HOLY CANOODLE SO MANY REVIEWS! I'M HONORED AND STUPEFIED! Trojan, I feel your pain. Sorry it took so long, but hopefully Hiro and Zero Two getting together will soothe some of that. I also hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, I'm really sorry! Warriors, drunk characters are indeed easy plot development. A great excuse for some fun interactions too. Order, thank you very much, I'm flattered (even though I definitely know it's true. Half the reason I wrote this story was because I couldn't find something like it out there that was either good or continuing). Guest, no no, I wouldn't do that to you. Not so early in the story at least. Later on...who knows? Unknown, glad you liked it so far, I hope I can continue to entertain you in the future. Leader, oh yeah, you have no idea how much I smile when I write some of this. Both because I love it and I'm a sucker, and because I know someone else will definitely feel the same way. Frosty, glad I could be the diamond in the rough for you. I know the feeling of looking for a good story out there when everything else is just so meh. And don't worry, I've got plenty more fun planned for everyone, in both the actually fun way and the 'what are you all doing, why can't you just talk it out' way. I'm sorry in advance. Guest, yes. Alpha, what's the other one? I'm curious as to what you think could possibly compare to my superior writing skills. (I'm kidding, thank you so much. Such high praise really does mean a lot to me) Lexi, glad I could cheer up your day. Not too much mayhem this time, but one could say this is just a taste of what's to come. Eventually. Probably. Stay tuned to find out! Narusaku, I shall continue, whenever I have the time. Hiro and Zero Two are absolutely great and I hope I can do them justice. ET, next chapter is now! My policy is and shall continue to be 'I post either when the chapter is done or when I feel like it.' More is always coming, it's just a matter of time. Guest the second, IS SHE?! No, no she's not. Not yet at least. Will she be? Hard to say, better stay tuned to find out!_

_Hot damn, that was a lot. Thankfully you were all pretty brief so it didn't take too long, but still, thirteen reviews is absolutely ludicrous. I'm so glad you all enjoy the story and are hungry for more. I shall do my best to provide for you all, but please be patient with me, I put a lot of work into making sure these chapters live up to not only your, but my standards as well. Don't worry though, I never start a story I don't intend on finishing, so this thing will be done eventually, even if it does take a while. Like, a LOOOONG while. Just warning you._

_In the mean time, I hope you liked this chapter too, sorry for taking so long. Be sure to follow the story to make sure you get notified when I update it, unless you want to keep constantly checking back. I mean, to each their own, but that sounds like a pain to me. But whatever, hope you all have a good day, eat some candy, brush your teeth, and listen to some good music. I recommend the Witcher 3 soundtrack. Very, very nice and great for listening to while you're doing something else. Like writing. Which I should probably get back to. Cheers!_

_~Aro_


	7. Chapter 7

Hiro hadn't really known what to do after he left Zero Two's room after kissing her. He could barely believe he had kissed her. Just kissed her, no fanfare, no wild lead up, just kissed her because he wanted to, and he could.

If he thought about it, it was probably the first time he had done something like that. He had never been confident enough to really initiate a kiss with his previous girlfriend, instead just going along with whatever she had wanted.

Now, he was conflicted. He knew he had definitely enjoyed it but had no idea if Zero Two had. He had just left afterwards, not staying to see her reaction. Logically, she couldn't have been opposed to it. She had tried to kiss him multiple times before and even succeeded if his memory of the night they met was reliable. Still, he continued to question and worry about it for the rest of the day until he met Zero Two for dinner.

As soon as she saw him, she burst into a wide smile, dazzling him with her earnest beauty, before running up to him, throwing her arms around him, and locking their lips together. He jerked in surprise, but Zero Two refused to let him go, instead kissing him again with the same amount of enthusiasm. A second later, he gave in, returning Zero Two's kiss, which made her hum happily, pressing herself more firmly against him.

At some point, Hiro remembered that he had wanted dinner, leading to him gently pulling away from his eager girlfriend, who slowly released him. He also remembered that they were in a somewhat public place. He quickly glanced around the door common room, relieved to see it empty.

"Hello Darling," Zero Two said quietly, staring him in the eye with fervor in her own. "I missed you." Hiro had to force himself to remain calm and collected.

"Hi," he said, not sure what else to do. "Do you want to go eat?"

"Of course," Zero Two said immediately, dragging him into the elevator. Hiro was quickly catching onto the fact that there was little Zero Two loved more than food. "I've been waiting all day for this; I'm starving." Hiro stopped short at her words.

"Are you saying you haven't eaten anything all day?" he asked her, to which she immediately shook her head.

"Nope, I wanted to make sure I could eat with you, so I skipped lunch."

"Zero Two, you can't do just do that, you need to eat, especially after everything last night and this morning. You must be starving." Right on cue, her stomach growled audibly, though she just smiled at him.

"It's sweet that you care, Darling, but I'm okay. Besides, we're going to eat now, so it doesn't matter," she said, trying to gloss over the topic.

Hiro couldn't let it go though. "No, it does matter. This isn't the first time you've done this either, is it? I remember the other day when I…asked you out…you ran straight for the dining hall afterwards. How many meals did you miss then?" Now Zero Two didn't make eye contact, instead walking out the opening elevator, trying to escape Hiro's probing questions.

"I'm fine, Darling, you don't have to worry about me," she said, her voice slightly hostile towards him.

"Yes, I do!" Hiro exclaimed, finally raising his voice. "You're my girlfriend now, and that means I get to worry about you, which includes making sure you're eating properly. You won't do yourself any favors by skipping meals." He could tell he wasn't making any headway, forcing him to play the card he knew would work and that he had wanted to avoid.

"Look, if you promise to eat three meals every day this week, I promise I'll do anything you want next weekend." That got her attention.

"Anything?" she asked lowly, looking at him like she might a juicy piece of meat. Hiro quickly amended his words.

"Okay, no, not anything. I reserve the right to say no to anything too crazy."

"Aww, you're no fun. I know you want me, Darling," Zero Two said teasingly, resuming their walk towards the dining hall. "But something? You promise?"

"I promise," he said, ignoring the feeling that he was dooming himself with the words. The smile that lit up her face quickly discarded any worries he had.

"Deal. I get to eat tasty food and you're all mine this weekend. You know, you do the silliest things, Darling," she said cheerily.

"If it gets you to eat properly, I have no problem with that," he said, savoring his small victory as Zero Two grabbed his hand and dragged him off towards dinner.

* * *

Tuesday rolled around, and Kokoro was surprised to hear the campus buzzing about Hiro and Zero Two dating. Not that she was surprised that they had gotten together, that had seemed all but inevitable to her. She was more surprised when three of her friends had texted her asking if it was true.

She would have thought Hiro would want to keep their relationship at least somewhat private, given his general timidity. She also knew what kind of reputation Zero Two had. The two factors combined would logically lead to them keeping the fact that they were dating quiet.

Or not, given that they had practically announced it to the student body as they were walking to dinner a few days ago. Since then, people had quietly been discussing it, wondering how the party-oriented, never-to-be-tied down Zero Two had gotten attached to Hiro, a quiet, slightly nerdy nobody.

"What's so funny?" Mitsuru asked Kokoro as she giggled quietly, the couple walking to their next classes hand in hand.

"Just thinking about Hiro and Zero Two. Seems the whole campus knows about them dating."

"Yeah, great," Mitsuru grumbled, letting go of his girlfriend's hand and shoving his hands in his pockets, his expression darkening.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that," Kokoro said, pulling on her much taller boyfriend's arm. "You always have a problem with Hiro. You should stop being mean to him and be happy for him."

"Happy for him? Happy that something else landed in his lap so that he can throw it away? He's brilliant but has no aspirations. He's got all of us for friends but acts like it just him alone. And now, he's got a hot girlfriend who chose him over literally hundreds of other guys. Mark my words, it won't be her that screws their relationship up, it's going to be him. I don't know how, but he'll find a way to screw it up. He always does." Mitsuru stormed off, shoulders hunched and a scowl on his face.

Kokoro couldn't do anything other than watch him go. She had seen him in enough of his moods to know when he needed time to cool off. He'd come around and be the sweet man she loved again. Still, she couldn't really understand why he was so annoyed with Hiro. The taller boy used to look up to Hiro when they were younger, until one day they barely associated with each other. Kokoro had tried to figure out why for years, but Mitsuru would never explain his exact reasoning.

Kokoro sighed, resigning to the fact that the mystery of their shattered friendship would be left unanswered. She personally thought Hiro deserved to have Zero Two. They both seemed lonely to her; at least, that was the impression she had gotten from Zero Two the few times they had met. She hoped they could be happy together. And that they never heard about the growing betting pool about when and how they would break up.

* * *

The day he had made his promise to go along with whatever Zero Two wanted on the weekend, Hiro had felt a horrible sense of doom. At the time, he had brushed it off, attributing it to nerves at the most. Now, on a nice Saturday just past noon, being dragged through the mall on the promise of shopping, he was horrified to find that he was right.

"Come on Darling, no dragging behind. You said whatever I wanted, now you're going to live by that," Zero Two said, tugging his arm as she made a beeline towards a small store.

"I know, I'm coming," Hiro groaned, resigned to his fate. Shopping was far from his favorite thing to do, but he supposed it was a good way to spend time with Zero Two away from school, where they tended to have a lot of prying eyes on them, for some reason. Plus, this could be a good way to see her in some cute clothes. Not that the short denim shorts and blue-black shirt that she was wearing, along with her hair tied back and usual headband, wasn't already cute.

"Ooo, look at those shoes," she said, stopping to look through a window at a pair of low heels that looked like every other pair of heels to Hiro. Still, he bobbed his head idly, enjoying watching the girl next to him get excited about everything. She dragged him from window to window, brimming with childish excitement, practically running as she zipped around. If it hadn't been for Hiro holding her back, she probably would have been.

They went into a few stores, Zero Two browsing the racks as Hiro ambled around, looking at whatever interested him. Zero Two seemed to be interested in a little bit of everything, from novelty tees to lacy goth dresses. She would often turn to Hiro to get his opinion on a piece of clothing before criticizing it and putting it back.

"Why don't you buy anything?" Hiro asked as they left the seventh shop, their hands still free of bags despite the number of things they had looked at. "There must have been something you liked." Zero Two shrugged noncommittally.

"It's all fine, just nothing's jumped out at me yet. Want to eat something?" she asked, rapidly switching gears. Hiro blinked at the sudden change.

"Is it something so sickeningly sweet my dentist would want to die just considering me putting it in my mouth?"

"Come on, you'll love it," the pink haired girl said, rushing off towards another area of the mall. Hiro trailed behind, purposefully keeping his gait slow. He had noticed that Zero Two was reluctant to run off without him sometime in the last hour and was making full use of that fact to prevent her from plowing through everything in her path in a fit of sugar-induced madness. It was a scene he could imagine all too easily and was dead set on avoiding.

A few minutes later, Hiro found himself looking at the single largest caramel roll he had ever seen in his life. It was the size of a cantaloupe and absolutely dripping with thick caramel that covered every inch of it. "How do you expect me to eat all of this?" he asked Zero Two when she came back with plastic disposable forks and a large number of napkins.

"I don't, I expect us to eat it," she said, grabbing a fork and jamming it into the enormous roll, pulling off a large piece of fluffy bread, dunking it in the spilled caramel in the bottom of the tray, and jamming the entire thing into her mouth. Hiro watched as she chewed, his expression completely straight. Zero Two made some noises of encouragement, gesturing for Hiro to eat. With a sigh and a smile, the bemused boy picked up his own fork and pulled off a piece as well, albeit much smaller than Zero Two's.

"Who even makes something like this?" he asked between bites.

"Only these guys. Trust me, I've checked, and only this store makes this work of art," Zero Two said, forcing another massive piece past her teeth.

"What's it called?" Hiro asked, barely believing his eyes as the chunk of caramel roll disappeared into his girlfriend's mouth.

"Mmph mhmp ahhmph," Zero Two said around her huge bite, struggling to contain the roll as she ate.

"Stop that, at least chew first. And look, you've got caramel sauce everywhere," Hiro said, grabbing a napkin and pressing it against Zero Two's face, catching the bead of caramel that had escaped the corner of her mouth. He carefully dabbed at the eating girl's face, scooping up any stray bits of roll and caramel. "You need to get that off right away or else it'll stick to your skin."

"Keep making that face at me and I'll let you clean it off me later," Zero Two said quietly, her shining eyes looking up at Hiro, inuendo heavy in her voice. Suddenly flustered and realizing what he was doing, Hiro made a quick retreat, dropping the used napkin on the table and hiding behind the shrinking caramel roll. "Some other time?" Zero Two said with a giggle, still able to see her boyfriend's blushing face.

"So, what's it called? The roll?" Hiro asked again, eager to change the subject.

"The Diabetic's Doom," Zero Two said offhandedly, slowly pulling off a long strip of roll and pushing it into her mouth in waves. Hiro deadpanned again before laughing.

"It would be wouldn't it. And naturally you manage to find it."

"Yep!" she said cheerily, picking up the last piece of the roll and examining it. She looked up at Hiro and the sly grin he was becoming extremely familiar with appeared. "Say 'aah' Darling," she said, holding the last of the roll out to him. Hiro glanced around, and upon seeing there was no one watching them, leaned forward and bit into the large chunk of caramel roll, pulling away half of it.

"You were supposed to eat all of it," Zero Two said with a little pout, still holding the roll out to Hiro, who had to quickly shove the bite of sticky bread into the corner of his mouth to respond.

"Knowing how much you love these, I couldn't just eat all of it. I don't mind sharing." Zero Two looked at him intently for another handful of seconds before pulling the roll back and fitting it into her mouth, barely tasting it as she considered Hiro.

"What?" he asked, cleaning any smeared caramel from his face. Zero Two shook herself a little.

"Nothing, you're cute" she said cheerily, standing up and scooping the caramel roll's paper tray up to carry to the trash. "Come on, we've got a few more stops." She quickly scurried away, forcing Hiro to push his confused thoughts aside and scramble after his reenergized girlfriend.

True to Zero Two's word, the couple continued to tour the mall, looking at different shops filled with clothes and curios, but still not buying anything. They continued the pattern for another hour before they found themselves in a larger store, wandering among the racks once again. Zero Two was poking through a bunch of what looked like school uniforms while Hiro examined some hats, when the busty girl pulled an outfit free of the rack.

"What do you think of this one?" she asked, holding the outfit in front of herself and turning to gauge Hiro's reaction. The black-haired man looked up, turning a cap over in his hands. Zero Two was holding up a black shirt and skirt combo, with small gold buttons and chains hanging off them. Thin stripes of white encircled the short sleeves and the top and bottom of the skirt. The outfit looked purposefully small though, the skirt looking like it would only reach midthigh and the top falling short of the waist by a few inches.

"I…think…it looks a bit small," he said, continuing to turn the hat over in his hands, seemingly unaware that he was doing it. Zero Two examined him and then the outfit before turning and walking off.

"Stay here, I'm going to go try it on," she said, draping the shirt/skirt combo over her shoulder as she walked away, leaving Hiro standing among the clothing racks, still holding the cap in his hands. He looked around at a few other things while he waited, one red dress in particular catching his eye. He was about to pull it out when he felt a tap on his shoulder, drawing his attention to the woman standing behind him.

Everything Hiro had thought about the outfit had been spot on, from the length of the skirt that left a mile of creamy leg to be seen to the inches of clearance between the bottom of the shirt and the waist of the skirt that left Zero Two's tight midriff exposed, the fabric of the shirt actually held slightly away from her skin by the swells of her sizable breasts.

"Do you like it?" Zero Two asked, making a small twirl that send the loose fabric of the skirt swirling, teasing him with just a little more of her smooth thighs. Hiro forced himself to swallow before answering.

"Y-yes, I think it looks…good. Very good," he said with a stutter, transfixed for not the first time by the pink-haired girl, who looked at him with her head tilted for a second.

"Then I'll get it," she said, spinning away with another small twirl. "I think I'm going to need a few things with it though." She walked over to the hats Hiro had been looking at and picked out one that had the same black with gold accent style as the outfit. She popped it on her head and struck a pose in front of a mirror, looking herself over. "Yeah, I like it. Good choice, Darling."

"But you chose it," Hiro said, still thrown off by the girl that he had somehow gotten for a girlfriend, who immediately spun back towards him.

"Okay, then what would you have picked out for me?" she asked with a hint of challenge. Hiro, suddenly on edge with nerves, looked around before seeing the red dress he had been looking at before Zero Two rejoined him. On impulse, he grabbed it and held it out, keeping his eyes averted from her to ensure he would still be able to speak.

"This one," he said, hoping he sounded more confident than he thought he did. He must've, because Zero Two gently pulled the dress and its hanger out of his fingers and walked back towards the dressing room. Only once she disappeared from view did Hiro realize he hadn't really seen what the dress looked like, only that it was red, a color he thought suited Zero Two and her passionate personality.

Hiro waited somewhat patiently for Zero Two to come back, both excited and nervous for her reaction and to see what she would look like. He didn't wait more than a few minutes before he spotted pink hair weaving through the racks towards him. The first thing he saw when she rounded the corner was the burning crimson color of the dress, broken up by black fabric around the hems of the sleeveless dress. The straps over her shoulders were extremely thin, barely seeming to do anything, while the rest of the bright fabric curved around her breasts before stopping, showing almost no cleavage but all of her collarbone. The skirt of the dress was slightly longer in the back, falling to just below her knees, whereas the front rested just above. A small twirl revealed a darker red ribbon on the back at the waistline, breaking up the color of the dress slightly.

"I guess you like it, Darling," Zero Two said, laughing. Hiro realized a second later that he had been staring at her with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open. "I like it too," she said, twirling again in front of the mirror. "Do you think I should get this one too?" she asked, to which Hiro immediately nodded. Giggling, Zero Two looked around the store.

"Okay, I will, but I get to pick something out for you too. And you have to get it if I say so."

"I thought you were the one going shopping," Hiro said, trailing after Zero Two as she walked through the men's clothing, plucking a black shirt off a rack immediately before looking through some pants.

"I was, but it's not fair if I get two things and you don't get any."

"I had some of the caramel roll," Hiro said, trying to deflect the conversation, though he didn't really know why.

"So did I," Zero Two countered, pulling a dark red pair of pants off the shelf and holding them up to Hiro's waist, before swapping them out for a slightly longer pair. "We shared that, so it doesn't count. Now go try these on, I want to see how you look. Go, I'll be right here." Zero Two shooed him off, leaving him no choice but to head towards a changing room.

Looking at the clothes Zero Two had picked out, he realized they weren't too different from what he wore usually, with the exception of the color of the pants. He liked them, he just wasn't sure he'd like them on himself. Still, knowing Zero Two wouldn't be satisfied until he bowed to her wishes, he changed into the chosen clothes, shifting them around a little until they felt comfortable. He looked at himself in the mirror with a critical eye. He didn't hate how he looked; it was just a little different. He briefly tried to wrangle his hair into a manageable mess before accepting that it was beyond help and that Zero Two was going to get what she would. He quickly walked out of the changing room, refusing to stop and continue to second guess himself.

He tried to walk confidently towards where Zero Two was waiting, not wanting to disappoint her with hunched shoulders and a nervous attitude. Of course, there was only so much he could do, but he thought he hid his fear reasonably well.

As soon as his pretty girlfriend spotted him, he saw her eyes widen a little and a big smile appear on her lips. She rushed over to him and looked him over.

"See, I knew you'd look great. No arguing, you have to get it," she said, looking at him with a proud expression, as if congratulating herself on her excellent fashion choices.

"Really?" Hiro asked, still not sold on it. "I'm not sure I like the pants; they're a little…loud." Zero Two's smile quickly turned into a pout.

"If you're not getting that, exactly as it is, then I'm putting this dress back too. You chose for me, so I get to choose for you. Plus, look, we match!" she exclaimed, pulling Hiro to the mirror and standing next to him.

Hiro didn't like to admit it, but she was right. The color of his pants matched well with the ribbon on the back of her dress, and the black accents on the hems of her dress tied his dark shirt in too. They really did look like a couple like that, both complementing each other.

"And see, if I do this," Zero Two said, wrapping her arms around Hiro's neck, bringing their faces to bare inches apart, "now I think we look perfect." Hiro watched as the couple in the mirror stood together, really looking like a perfect match. He saw the girl lean closer and press her lips to the boy's cheek, feeling the soft press of flesh on his jaw, before they broke apart and the moment passed.

"Okay," Hiro said, his mind made up. "I'll get them." Zero Two smiled again.

"I knew you would. I look too good in this dress for you to refuse. Quick, go get changed and meet me up front, I've got one last place I need to go," she said cheerfully, a sneaky tone slipping into her voice at the end of her sentence. Whatever that was, it probably didn't bode well for Hiro's composure. Still, he swapped back into his original clothing and walked up to the front of the store. Somehow, Zero Two was already there and paying for her clothes, having apparently changed impossibly fast. Or he was just slow. Hiro quickly paid for his outfit and the two of them left the store with their bags in hand. Zero Two was quick to lead him towards the one area of the mall that they hadn't visited yet, apparently leaving best for last.

Naturally, the place she had to go was the lingerie store, the absolute worst place for Hiro to be with her. Not only because, well, boobs, but Zero Two's teasing was sure to reach an all-time high. Luckily for him, she left him outside the store with their bags, saying she had to leave some surprises for later. Hiro wasn't sure how comfortable he was with the emphasis she put on the word 'later' but let it slide as he sat on a bench outside the store, purposefully looking away from the storefront and its alluring posters.

* * *

Zero Two had been inside Victorian Silence plenty of times before. It was one of her favorite stores to visit actually. She knew she had a great body and made sure to enjoy it. She delighted in the looks she got from men and women alike, desiring to have her in one way or another. That had always been enough for her, but now she felt differently. She wanted to really impress Hiro.

But she worried that her usual choices wouldn't be enough. He had already seen her undressed once before, what if he wasn't as interested next time? Zero Two didn't want to disappoint him, so she found herself wandering the store, looking for that nebulous something.

"Anything I can help you find, miss?" one of the store attendants asked politely, approaching Zero Two as she searched the store. Zero Two looked at the young woman, ready to dismiss her, but stopped short. Normally she would never ask someone for help, but maybe this woman could recommend something.

"I'm looking for something to go with this," she said, pulling out her phone out and showing the woman a picture of the red dress her Darling had picked out. The store woman looked carefully at it.

"Did your boyfriend pick it out?" she asked, starting to lead the surprised Zero Two through the store.

"How did you know…?"

"I saw you two outside the store. He's cute," the saleswoman said with a laugh.

"He's mine," Zero Two said with a small growl, instantly defensive. If this woman wanted to take her Darling, she'd have to do it over her cold….

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not in the business of stealing people's boys," the clerk said quickly, derailing Zero Two's detailed plan of how she would demolish the woman. "I was just thinking that he has good taste to pick that out for you. He looks like a very nice boy."

"He is," Zero Two said, resolute in her assessment.

"Here, try this on and tell me what you think," the woman said, grabbing a dark red bra off a hanger, its edges fringed with bits of lace. Zero Two quickly took it and ducked into one of the fitting rooms. Trying it on, she found that it was actually perfect. The dark color of the cups complemented her hair nicely and would do the same for the dress. The lace was also perfect, showing hints of the skin underneath that would probably make her Darling freeze up. She smiled, already looking forward to when she could wear it for him.

"It's great," Zero Two said when she came back out of the changing room, smiling excitedly. "I'll take this, some matching underwear, and…these," she said, grabbing a pair of dark tights to go with the other outfit she bought. The saleswoman quickly led her over to the counter to pay.

"So how long have you two been dating?" she asked as she rang up Zero Two's purchases and tucked them into a bag.

"About…two weeks, I guess," the pink-haired girl said, glancing towards the front of the store, trying to spot her Darling waiting for her.

"Is he your first boyfriend?" Zero Two thought about it for a second. She had dated other guys before, but they had never been like her Darling was. He was different, so…

"Kind of," she ended up saying. "It's weird."

"I've been there," the cashier said, handing Zero Two her bag of things. "Well, I hope you like him, because you're going to have a hard time getting rid of him once you show him those." The women shared a small laugh and Zero Two left the store, eager to tease her Darling about her new purchases.

He wasn't right outside the store, but Zero Two quickly spotted him standing in front of a bookstore next door. She skipped towards him, landing at his side and peering through the window of the store with him.

"What're you looking at?" she asked cheerfully, her face close enough to his to see a slight blush appear on his face through his concentration.

"Just seeing if they have anything interesting. I've read some of these, they were pretty good," her Darling said, pointing to a few books stacked on top of each other. "I always like to check the new releases for anything…interesting…" Hiro's words lost momentum as something caught his eye. "Did that come out already?! How did I miss that?! Zero Two, come on!" he exclaimed, grabbing the confused pink-haired girl's hand and dragging her towards the bookstore's doors, the excited smile on his face tugging on Zero Two's heart.

* * *

_So it's been, a bit. Just a little. Sorry. I do feel kinda bad about the long wait, so I thank all of you for still waiting patiently. I didn't want to post this until I was sure I'd have the drive to write more, and while I can't promise that entirely, you all deserve something, especially since you've left such nice messages for me to read. Between finishing 'Revival of the Gods', starting school up again, writing other things, and having some semblance of a life and other hobbies, I just haven't had the time I wanted to write more of this. Fortunately I can feel it coming back even as I write this, so fear not, I will continue._

_Now how about some of those very nice reviews. You guys always blow my socks off with these. Like...Alfred, glad you're liking the story. Warriors, yes, finally, though if you think about it, they got together very quickly compared to other stories. Not that that means we won't be having more fun with them. Far from it... O5-7, that's all you have to say, thanks! Dutch, careful, that's some damn high praise you're throwing around there. Godamora, I'm glad you liked the sweetness and the little confrontation. Zero Two is not someone who really takes shit from anyone, at least as I see her. Trojan, yeah, yeah, sorry you had to wait. Hope you enjoyed though! Frosty, glad to keep you excited to read my stuff, I just hope you didn't make too much of a mess... Order, no story is complete without one, especially an anime/manga based one. Glad you liked it. Unknown, cuteness is the prime metric by which I measure if a chapter is done, glad to see my scale isn't off. I did have a good laugh at the pregnancy comment, so cheers for that. ETfoo, I never feel forced to write for anyone, the way I see it is I'm doing this for free in my own free time, so really no one has any say on whether its satisfactory or not. But thanks none the less, I do put a lot of work into these, so I'm glad its enjoyed by someone other than me. Djfede, glad you're enjoying! You guys always leave a smile on my face with comments like that. Dungeon Crawler, unfortunately I'm a slave to my own desires and if I don't feel like writing something, I'm just not going to. All I can promise is that this story will be finished eventually._

_My gosh, you guys are nuts. Again, sorry you had to wait so long, but I was busy with a whole lot of stuff, including expressing some of my other desires. In very healthy ways, fear not, we're all fine here. It's all in good fun and helps me stay sane and eats up some of my free time. Plus school, which I think we can all agree is probably the exact opposite of everything I just described. Only one semester left though. December can't come soon enough. Anyways, you all have a good time, I'll post again when I feel like it, thanks for your support, remember everyone has their issues, and don't juggle open bottles of...well, anything really. Usually makes a mess. Cheers!_

_~Aro_


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